Egypt was captivated this week as ON Sport TV channel has broadcast a rare and exclusive interview bringing together two of the country’s most iconic figures: Liverpool football superstar Mohamed Salah and world-renowned heart surgeon Sir Magdi Yacoub.

Egypt’s most inspiring figures came together to share their personal journeys, challenges, and dreams for the future during the historic meeting that offered an unusually intimate look at Salah’s early struggles, self-doubt and the pressures that shaped his rise to global stardom.

In the deeply personal conversation, Salah recalled the loneliness of his first months in Switzerland. “Nobody knew me there. Fans saw me as an ordinary person, not a player arriving from the Egyptian League,” he said.

“The idea of going back to Egypt controlled me,” he admitted. “I thought of returning to Al Ahly or Zamalek and ending the experience early.” Eventually, he realised that leaving would feel like accepting failure. “When I changed my mindset, I became ready to give everything to succeed.”

Salah revealed the emotional weight he carried as a young player abroad: “I was afraid to respond to coaches in case I was punished or benched. Sometimes I cried in the bathroom. All I wanted was to reach my dream.”

He also spoke about his ambition to become a national symbol like Mahmoud El Khatib and Hassan Shehata. Qualifying for the 2018 World Cup, he said, showed him how much he meant to young Egyptians: “It was more than football. I felt I represented hope.” (Gulf News)