Football star Mohamed Salah visits Sharjah Book Fair

The 43rd edition of the Sharjah Book Fair hosted renowned Egyptian football player Mohamed Salah, the star of the English club Liverpool, in a dialogue session about his football career and the role books played in his sports career.

The session was attended by a large crowd of people who filled the celebration hall at the Expo Centre Sharjah.

Salah said books represent a great source of knowledge for him, adding he draws inspiration from great authors in his football career and life, more generally.

He expressed his happiness in attending the Sharjah International Book Fair, hoping his experiences will benefit young people.

من الشارقة إليكم محمد صلاح!🚀⚽
أسطورة كرة القدم وحديث عن القراءة والثقافة وكيف ترى نجاحك وتسعى إليه.📙#الشارقة #الإمارات #هيئة_الشارقة_للكتاب #معرض_الشارقة_الدولي_للكتاب pic.twitter.com/wQfKCLoou0

— Sharjah Book Authority (@SharjahBookAuth) November 17, 2024

Salah told thousands of his fans that reading is a basic cognitive element for him and stressed that he benefited greatly from the books he read in shaping his football career, explaining that his connection to reading books began after he moved to the English Premier League, specifically the ranks of Chelsea Club, where his participation in matches at the time was not as he had hoped, so he found his way in reading and books in order to expand his horizons and increase his knowledge.

Salah joined Chelsea in the 2014 season, and that was his first step in the English Premier League, coming from Basel in Switzerland, but he was often absent from the starting lineup of his new team at the time.

He said that instead of blaming the coach or the circumstances that prevented him from performing properly with Chelsea, he found books to help him in this situation and contribute to strengthening his personality. Since then, reading has become an important part of his life.

He added: "I try hard to benefit from the experiences contained in books, as they are the essence of the thoughts and knowledge of their authors and the accumulation of their experiences in life. There are many books that I have benefited from throughout my career.

Salah is currently a legend at Liverpool FC since joining the club in 2017 from Roma.