When Mohamed Salah announced he would be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season, Jürgen Klopp hailed him as "one of the all-time greats".
The ex-Reds boss managed him for his first five seasons at Anfield - in which Salah scored 156 goals, winning the Champions League, Premier League, three domestic cups, the Super Cup and the Club World Cup. He is indeed an exceptional footballer.
But that is only one of the many elements that have made him a global icon and role model to people way beyond the city of Liverpool, in the UK, Europe, throughout Africa, across the Arab world and to Muslims everywhere.
Salah's journey reflects an exceptional level of commitment, persistence and passion.
Growing up in Nagrig, a remote village in Egypt, he kicked off his career at Al Mokawloon Al Arab, travelling nine hours a day by bus, from the age of 14, for training in Cairo.
His route to success has been a rocky one but Salah recalls a moment when everything changed.
"I was on the bench for two months," he told Sports Illustrated. "I told my father, 'I can't go… every day and be on the bench.' I was crying. He said, 'Listen, everyone who became a big name after a long time, he suffered a lot [first]. It's not going to be easy. Just keep focused, train hard and I'm sure you will play again and be great.' That's a moment that I still remember… After a short period, I started playing again - and everything has worked out."
But it was only after several years of Egyptian club football that Salah's skills finally took him to Europe, where he signed for Basel, in the Swiss Super League.
"From the first day I left Egypt for Basel's assessment, I told myself I had to become a different player," Salah told Egyptian television's Kol Youm programme. "I wanted to do a great achievement, to attract attention, and to become a player people love and follow."
European acclaim did not come overnight, however. Salah struggled for game time at Chelsea and had to switch to Italy's Serie A to rebuild his career with Fiorentina and, from 2015-17, Roma. On returning to England with Liverpool, he announced: "I like to play here in the Premier League. I'm happy to be back and I'm excited.
"I will give everything for the club. I am happy to be here - and I really want to win something for this club."
"If you look at me now and five years ago, everything has changed both mentally and physically," Salah told BBC Sport in his first season at Anfield.
"I'm trying to improve myself every day. I always like to put myself under pressure to improve more.
"I give all my life to football. I only think about football. This is what is on my mind all the time."
Nine years later, Salah, true to his word, will leave behind a legacy of trophies and titles - but also the fulfilment of his original stated ambition, on leaving Africa, "to become a player people love".
Salah's breakthrough 2017–18 season gave rise to a new chant on the Kop stand at Anfield: "Mo Salah, Mo Salah, Mo Salah, running down the wing, Salah, la-la, la-la, the Egyptian king!" sung to the tune of Sit Down by James.
The band hails from Manchester — a city which rivals Liverpool both in footballing terms and also musically.
At the time, singer Tim Booth, himself a Leeds United fan, told Liverpool FC: "We've been precious with Sit Down. We know it means a lot to people and we've stopped a lot of adverts or people using it in ways that we felt might denigrate it. But one of the greatest footballers in the world can have it. When he's playing such beautiful football, it's a pleasure."
It was not the only Britpop anthem to get a Salah-inspired re-write that season, with London band Dodgy's Good Enough providing the tune for a terrace chant the player calls "something special". Acknowledging Salah's self-proclaimed pride in his Muslim identity, the fans sing: "If he's good enough for you, he's good enough for me, If he scores another few, then I'll be Muslim too, If he's good enough for you, he's good enough for me, He's sitting in the mosque, that's where I want to be."
Salah is among the fastest players in Premier League history, registering a top speed of 36.64km/h, in 2021, according to official Opta statistics.
An "inverted winger", he attacks from wide on the right flank but then cuts inside, using body feints and rapid shifts in pace to dribble past defenders and shoot with his stronger left foot. Not content with this effective tactic, however, Salah has also undergone intensive training to gradually strengthen his right foot.
"I work on my weaknesses and try to improve all the time — in the gym alone after training, before training," Salah told Sports Illustrated.
But for Salah, the hard work really starts when he comes home from training. He follows a strict routine built around diet, exercise and recovery. He uses elite-level gym and rehabilitation facilities, including his own home hyperbaric oxygen chamber to aid recovery and reduce fatigue. "I have everything at home," he has said. "It's like a hospital."
And as well as at least twice daily gym sessions - followed by ice baths, to minimise soreness and inflammation - Salah also practises yoga and Pilates, to improve flexibility and prevent injuries.
His disciplined regime even extends to other areas of the family home. "Good abs are made in the kitchen," he told the Men in Blazers Media Network, highlighting the importance of nutrition in his routine.
Salah follows a strict diet rich in protein and greens. He typically eats five or six balanced meals a day that include foods such as eggs, avocado, broccoli, sweet potatoes, oats, almond milk and fruit. He stays away from sugar and eats only gluten-free brown bread. But when he returns to Egypt, he still enjoys traditional koshary, the national dish, of fried rice with lentils and onions.
Mental health is also a priority. Salah meditates for 15–20 minutes every day, either before sleep or upon waking, focusing on his goals and maintaining clarity. He plays regular games of chess, which helps his concentration and decision-making.
In Egypt, Salah is seen as a national inspiration, with many fans describing him as "hope for every Egyptian child". It is a responsibility he takes seriously.
"I want all Egyptian people to follow my way to improve themselves," Salah told BBC Sport. "We are a huge country. We have many children. I want everyone to dream and feel they can do something."
And he puts his money where his mouth is, with the Mohamed Salah Charity Foundation, in Nagrig, helping orphans, divorced and widowed women, the poor and sick.
Meanwhile, in Liverpool, Salah's skill, but also consistency, professionalism and humility, have made him a symbol of pride for both the club and the city. He is credited with increasing social cohesion - and even a reduction in hate crime - as well as attracting a growing number of Muslim fans to Anfield.
"I hope on this last matchday you all will have a smile on your face and just be happy and thankful that you were part of one of the most incredible careers we will ever be part of," Klopp told Liverpool fans, on The Anfield Wrap podcast.
"Mo was the one with a goal always in his mind. You cannot train that or learn it. It is inside him - and he has that. He will have it until the last day of his life."
Speculation surrounding Salah's next move continues to grow.
In 2023, Liverpool reportedly rejected a $200m offer from Al-Ittihad. They, and the other three of the Saudi Pro League's "big four", Al-Ahli, Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr, remain keen to sign him. Other possible destinations include a Major League Soccer franchise in the US, a club in the Turkish Süper Lig or even a return to Italy.
Internationally, winning the Africa Cup of Nations remains one of his biggest ambitions. Expectations will also be high for Salah to lead Egypt to the knockout stages of the 2026 World Cup.
If he does, it will be weeks after his 34th birthday. And as his playing style relies heavily on physical intensity - pace, acceleration, movement behind defenders and quick transitions - it may be challenging for Salah to maintain the elite level of performance that has established him among the world's best.
For his millions of fans around the world, however - from the Mersey to the Nile - Salah will forever remain "the Egyptian king".
Back in Nagrig, a single Salah supporter simply sums up the emotions of a whole people, telling BBC News Arabic: "We will always love and support Mohamed Salah, wherever he goes and whichever team he plays for."
