Liverpool Superstar Mohamed Salah Reveals How He Is Motivated by Growing Expectations

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has revealed that despite feeling a weight of responsibility as a result of his new-found superstar status, increasing expectations from fans have only made him want to work harder and harder. And pressure, he says, he is already used to.

Having scooped the PFA Players' Player of the Year award on Sunday evening, Salah took his goal tally in an incredible debut season with Liverpool to 43 on Tuesday after he scored twice in the 5-2 Champions League semi final first leg demolition of Roma.

Earlier this season, he also scored the penalty to qualify Egypt for the World Cup for the first time since 1990 and is a national hero to 100m people back home.

"It's a big responsibility. I feel it," the 25-year-old told CNN after spending a day with the American broadcaster seeing the sights and sounds of Liverpool, his adopted city.

"This is my life, it's an easy life. It's not complicated. I have nothing much to do during the day but it's a responsibility in the end," he added.

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"You have to take it easy and carry on. I'm not nervous about that. It's also a little bit difficult because you don't have the freedom to make mistakes or something wrong. That's pressure, but when you've been under pressure for many years you can deal with it. It's fine."

Even the most ardent Liverpool supporters couldn't argue that Salah's goalscoring feats this season were expected. But the Egyptian King will likely finish the club season playing in the Champions League final, while many hope Egypt will be a dark horse at the World Cup after being drawn in a favourable group alongside Russia, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay.

There is even Ballon d'Or talk from some. But the more people expect, the more motivates him.

"It makes me work harder. It makes me give everything, more than before because now there's more pressure," Salah explained. "Everyone is looking for you to do something.

"When I didn't score in one game, they said: 'Wow, he's playing badly'. Everyone is expecting something in each game I'm playing. I don't have to score in every game but I want to do my best. I want to give everything for the club for my teammates and myself also."