Mo Salah is a real hero to young Liverpool fans especially those like Isaac who got the chance to meet him face to face. When Mohamed Salah put an end to speculation that he’ll be leaving Liverpool FC at the end of the season, the reaction was immediate – and it was a mix of shock, gratitude and a whole lot of reflection.
“He’ll be coming back wont he?”
That was the reaction of Isaac Kearney, 8 year old Mo Salah superfan and club mascot Isaac when he heard that his hero was off at the end of the season – for good.
Isaac has a genetic condition called Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome which affects his ability to get around and learn new things, he was a bit taken aback when Salah and team mate Virgil Van Dijk turned up at his school in November 2024.
His mum, Melissa, spoke to the BBC about the moment, saying: “the boys were just so caring towards Isaac, they were so genuine – you know like they’d been friends for years or something”.
She added: “they were lovely people. We all felt like we’d known them since the dawn of time”.
Even though it hasn’t been the strongest final season, Salah is still firmly on track to be remembered as one of Liverpool’s greatest players. With 255 goals in 435 appearances across nine years at Anfield, his impact is undeniable.
Isaac has since had the chance to be a mascot at Liverpool’s home games, an experience that meant the world to him.
When news broke of Salah’s departure — which he shared on his Instagram page on Monday — it hit many young fans hard, especially those who had met him personally.
One memorable moment came when Isaac ran into Salah while watching the team train a few weeks earlier. The Egyptian forward took time out to speak with him, leaving a lasting impression. Melissa recalled that “he was asking Isaac all the right questions – ‘how’s school, have you been going to the games?’ sort of thing”.
So when confirmation came that Salah would be leaving, Isaac understandably didn’t take it well.
Now, Melissa is hoping to secure tickets so Isaac can be there for Salah’s final game at Anfield.
She admitted she had initially worried her son might feel overwhelmed meeting his football heroes, but in the end, “it was about as good as it gets”.
“I know he’s done a lot for fans, more than we probably even know – to be honest he does loads behind the scenes too,” she said. “so for me its going to be a massive loss – his last game of the season will be a really sad day and its going to be devastating”.
Reference
BBC – https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy8194yexl5o?fbclid=IwVERDUAQxLKRleHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEe3GZVtc7HW60trGt0puz2oxybwQggSuNp9cQ4HkvrlxRDAUc66qmLHlJa41A_aem_lkW656947ePm8E7r689i8g
