Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah wins Footballer of the Year award

ENGLAND: Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has been named the Football Writers’ Association (FWA) Footballer of the Year after a remarkable season in which he registered 33 goals and 23 assists across all competitions.

The Egyptian star becomes only the second player, after Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, to win the prestigious award three times. According to the FWA, Salah secured 90 percent of the votes — the highest winning margin recorded this century.

Salah’s outstanding performances have played a pivotal role in helping Liverpool secure the Premier League title for the second time in five years. The 32-year-old, who recently extended his contract with Liverpool for another two years, is also in contention for a fourth Premier League Golden Boot.

He is just one goal or assist away from equaling the record for most goal involvements in a single Premier League season. With 46 goal contributions so far, Salah is just behind the joint-record holders Alan Shearer and Andy Cole, who achieved 47 goal involvements during a 42-game season.

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk ranks second in the FWA voting, followed by Newcastle’s Alexander Isak and Arsenal’s Declan Rice in third and fourth place, respectively. Salah first won the FWA Footballer of the Year award in the 2017–18 season after joining Liverpool and claimed it again in the 2021–22 season.

He remains a strong favorite to also win the Premier League Player of the Season and the Players’ Player of the Year awards. The award has previously been won by notable footballers including Cristiano Ronaldo — who has claimed it multiple times — and Jordan Henderson. Thierry Henry famously won it in four consecutive seasons from 2002–03 to 2005–06.