Mohamed Salah has transformed Liverpool since his arrival

When Mohamed Salah signed for Liverpool in 2017, few anticipated the scale of change he would bring to the club and its wider community. Nine years on, as the 33-year-old prepares to leave Merseyside at the end of the current campaign, his legacy extends far beyond the record books.

On the pitch, Salah’s impact was immediate. A 44-goal debut season announced the Egyptian as a force of nature, and he never slowed. He exits as Liverpool’s leading scorer in both Premier League and Champions League history, third overall behind Ian Rush and Roger Hunt, with two league titles, a European Cup and six additional trophies secured along the way. Season after season, records fell and silverware accumulated, his consistency matching his flair.

Yet Stanford University researchers have quantified an equally striking transformation off the field. Hate crimes across Merseyside have dropped 19 % since Salah’s arrival, while Islamophobic comments from Liverpool supporters online have halved. The study, led by political scientist Alexandra Siegel, concludes that “positive exposure to outgroup celebrities can reduce prejudice,” citing Salah as a textbook case.

“We had been following with interest this rise to fame of Mohamed Salah, this Egyptian soccer player, and we were particularly interested in what was going on with fans on the field during these games,” Siegel explained.

From a Chelsea cast-off to Anfield icon, Salah’s journey has redrawn perceptions inside the stadium and beyond. Debates over his place among the Premier League’s all-time greats will persist, but within Liverpool’s storied pantheon his seat is secure.