It was a memorable day for Mohamed Salah as his hat-trick saved the day for Liverpool and secured a hard-fought 4-3 win over Leeds United on Saturday.
Salah's 88th-minute strike from the penalty spot was enough to secure maximum points on a tense night at Anfield. And he celebrated the special moment with a tribute to his former Egypt teammate Moamen Zakaria.
After netting his third goal, Salah imitated Zakaria's celebration by pulling out his tongue and putting his hands on his ears. It was his way of honouring the Al Ahly midfielder, who was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) last month. The goal celebration was Zakaria's signature style.
ALS is a motor neurone disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, which means he will not be able to play football again.
Zakaria has not played competitive football since December 2018. He was also an Egypt international and played alongside Salah during the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign where he made three appearances against Ghana and Chad.
Salah's gesture has resonated back home. Egyptian journalist Mohamed Adam told the Liverpool Echo: "Much of the Egyptian media is talking about this. [Zakaria] is a friend of Salah and everyone in the Egyptian football world is feeling for him."
