Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has cemented himself as a cult hero at Anfield having scored 198 goals for the club since joining from Roma in the summer of 2017
It seems it’s not just football that consumes the life of Liverpool star Mo Salah.
The ‘Egyptian King’ continues to excel on Merseyside, scoring 10 times in the Premier League this season. That’s despite being targeted by the Saudi Pro League in the summer transfer window, with Al-Ittihad having a £150million bid for the 31-year-old rejected.
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Salah has struck 198 times in 322 games for Reds, but scoring goals is far from his only passion. In fact, the player renowned for his explosive pace has admitted to sitting down and playing chess on a daily basis.
“I play chess, I am addicted to chess. Every day, literally every day,” he told Sky Sports. “I put my name and some numbers so some people they ask, ‘Are you Mo Salah’? I say, ‘Yes’, they don’t believe it and say, ‘You are lying’, I say, ‘Yes I’m lying’.”
The 2019 Champions League winner is clearly a fan of watching the sport too. But he doesn’t rank himself anywhere near the likes of Magnus Carlsen, a five-time World Chess Champion. “I’m good, I’m not Magnus but I’m good,” he continued. No one has a chance with Magnus.”
The Norwegian has hinted that he may give the ex-Roma man the chance to prove himself though. Responding to the comments, he posted cryptically on social media, tagging Salah alongside a waving hand emoji.
Mohamed Salah has admitted he plays chess on a daily basis ( Image: Sky Sports)
Indeed, Carlsen is no stranger to taking on Liverpool players at the table. Back in 2018, he went up against Trent Alexander-Arnold, who himself has admitted to regularly playing the game growing up.
The contest lasted only five minutes though, with Carlsen needing just 17 moves to polish off his opponent. A match-up with Salah would undoubtedly provoke interest though, with the added spice of the 32-year-old being a fanatical Real Madrid fan.
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Salah played 90 minutes on Saturday in Liverpool’s 1-1 draw at Manchester City. However, he was kept uncharacteristically quiet by the hosts, who were left indebted to Alexander-Arnold’s sweetly struck late equaliser after Erling Haaland – the only player to score more times than Salah in the top flight this season – had put City ahead.