10 things you probably didn't know about forward Mohamed Salah

Mohamed Salah has become the footballer of the moment on his own merits. The Liverpool striker showed his quality in the Champions League semi-finals against Roma with a double . Here are 10 interesting facts about the Egyptian:

1.- He signed his first professional contract at the age of 14 with Al-Mokawloon, also known as Arab Contractors. Salah did not have an easy start in football. The Pharaoh said in an interview with UEFA that "to go to training I had to take three, four or even five buses and then go back home."

2.- He started playing as a full-back . Salah's first coaches saw in him a player with a lot of potential on the wing. Salah changed positions after a match in which ENPPI, his team, won 4-0, he did not score and left crying. Al Shesheni, his coach, promised him that he would change his position because of his speed and his passion for finding the opponent's goal.

3.- He wore the number 74 at Fiorentina . Salah wanted to pay tribute to the 74 victims of the clash at the Port Said stadium in 2012 between the supporters of Al-Ahly and Al-Masry during his time at Fiorentina by wearing the number of the deceased on the shirt.

4.- Solidarity with his city . The striker has bought an ambulance, medical equipment and is building a hospital and a school in Nagrig . In addition, the Liverpool player spends almost four thousand euros a month on food for the most disadvantaged in his city. In Egypt, the governor of Gharbiya changed the name of the school that the player attended in Basioun to the Mohamed Salah Industrial Institute and in his city he has a youth centre in his name.

5.- His father did not want him to play football. Salah's father did not look favourably on his son being a footballer and wanted him to focus his future on religion.

6.- He forgave a thief . According to a legend told by UEFA, a thief broke into Salah's family home and the footballer convinced his father not to report him, he ended up giving him money to get by and helped him find work.

7.- He refused a mansion . After scoring the penalty that qualified Egypt for the World Cup after 28 years of absence, Mamdou Abbas, businessman and former president of Zamalek, gave him a mansion as a prize. The striker refused and asked him to donate the money to Nagrig, his village.

8.- He was exempt from military service . During Salah's time at Chelsea, the player almost had to leave the blue team to do military service when his residence permit expired due to an education program. The Prime Minister of Egypt, the Minister of Education and the national team manager met to solve the problem. Two days later, Salah was exempt from military service.

9.- Apple gave him an iPhone . The phone company recognised Salah's good performance with the Pharaohs' team and gave him an iPhone 7 with his initials and full name engraved on it after scoring a goal against Ghana.

10.- His idol is Zinedine Zidane . The Egyptian admires the Real Madrid coach although he has always recognised Ronaldo and Totti as great players.