Salah's story of sacrifice: 'Chasing a dream I had to reach'

Mohamed Salah is the subject of an exclusive book extract published by The Guardian, where author Melissa Reddy documents the Egyptian forward's story of sacrifice and dedication from his early days at Al Mokawloon.

The biography reveals how Salah travelled daily from his village of Nagrig to train in Cairo, a nine-hour round trip requiring at least four microbuses five days a week. From age 14, he managed just two hours of school between 7 and 9 am before this gruelling commute to Al Mokawloon's youth academy.

His first coach there, Hamdi Nouh, remembers that Salah «was ready to sacrifice everything, he wanted to work hard, and liked to learn». Years later, Salah himself reflected: «I didn't feel tired travelling when I was young because I was doing something I wanted, chasing a dream I had to reach. I wasn't seeing my situation, I was seeing my goal».

His father's support proved crucial, working as a government administrator and jasmine trader to fund his son's journey through various clubs before Al Mokawloon, where coaches noted his speed, powerful left foot, and exceptional ball skills that set him apart from his peers.