Mohamed Salah’s story of success and sacrifice: ‘Chasing a dream I had to reach’
Mohamed Salah's remarkable rise from a small Egyptian village to becoming one of the Premier League's greatest players is detailed in an exclusive extract from a new book by journalist Melissa Reddy. The extract focuses on the extraordinary sacrifices Salah made as a teenager, undertaking a gruelling daily commute from his home village of Nagrig to train with Al Mokawloon Al Arab's youth academy in Cairo, illustrating the discipline and determination that underpinned his later success at Liverpool and with Egypt.
From the age of 14, Salah endured a nine-hour round trip five days a week, involving at least four buses each way across roughly 100 kilometres — from his village to Basyoun, on to Tanta, then a long haul into Cairo's Ramses Square, before a final connection to Nasr City, often followed by a two-kilometre run uphill to reach training on time. Cramped, chaotic and unpredictable, the journey left him with only enough money for the exact fare and no margin for error, yet Salah has said he never felt tired because he was chasing a goal rather than simply enduring hardship. His first coach, Hamdi Nouh, credited this readiness to sacrifice, work ethic and willingness to learn as key to his development, with Salah now honoured by a mural at the youth centre where his journey began.
- Book extract details Mohamed Salah's gruelling teenage commute to train in Cairo.
- He travelled nine hours daily, four buses each way, aged 14.
- Coach Hamdi Nouh credits sacrifice and work ethic for his rise.
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Mohamed Salah is an Egyptian footballer who grew up in Nagrig, a village in the Nile Delta. As a teenager, he joined the youth academy of Al Mokawloon Al Arab, a Cairo football club, while continuing to live at home.
That meant travelling for hours to reach training, a routine that demanded considerable time and effort. His coach, Hamdi Nouh, has described Salah’s discipline and willingness to learn as important to his development.
Salah later became a leading player for Liverpool and the Egypt national team. His journey is a route into understanding how young players develop through football academies, and the personal demands that can come with pursuing a professional career.