Mohamed Salah pleaded to leave club in unbelievable live TV interview

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Mohamed Salah made an emotional plea to leave his boyhood Egyptian club live on television years before securing a blockbuster transfer to Liverpool . In footage from Egyptian TV in 2012, a 19-year-old Salah was playing for Al Mokawloon when his career appeared to be at a crossroads.

After scoring seven goals in his opening 15 league matches that season, Egyptian football was abruptly halted following the Port Said tragedy . The disaster occurred after a match between Al Masry and Al Ahly, which finished 3-1 to the home side.

Thousands of Al Masry supporters stormed the pitch and this resulted in 74 deaths and over 500 injuries. The catastrophe prompted a two-year suspension of the domestic league, forcing Salah to seek opportunities elsewhere to keep his footballing ambitions alive.

Determined not to let anything derail his European dream, the future Liverpool star made an impassioned appeal to an Al Mokawloon official, desperate to secure a move to Swiss outfit Basel .

The club's hierarchy had reportedly set Basel a price tag of £2.6million (€3m) for Salah's signature. The young forward confessed his footballing aspirations could be destroyed if he wasn't granted permission to join Basel.

He desperately said "I won't be able to do anything" regarding the prospect of staying in Egypt during the two-year suspension. Salah's appeals were heeded when he signed a four-year contract with Basel in April 2012.

His Swiss stint lasted less than two years before an £11m transfer to Premier League heavyweights Chelsea . However, after failing to impress at Stamford Bridge, he had spells with Fiorentina and Roma before joining Liverpool three years later.

While Salah hasn't announced any plans to leave Liverpool, his future at Anfield is uncertain following his public criticism of the club and manager Arne Slot after being left out of the starting line-up for three consecutive league matches.

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After a 3-3 draw against Leeds United , the 33-year-old expressed his shock at the Dutchman's decision to sideline him.

"I could not believe I was sitting on the bench for 90 minutes," Salah said. "That's the third time. It's the first time in my career I think. I am very disappointed, I have done so much for this club over years, especially last season, It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That's how I feel [about] it. Someone wants me to get all the blame.

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