HOW THE EGYPTIAN MESSI COMPARES WITH HUNT
MO SALAH equalled a Liverpool record set by Roger Hunt in the 1961-62 season by scoring his 23rd goal before New Year’s Day. Here, Sportsmail has taken a look at the lives of Liverpool’s two shooting stars.
TELL ME ABOUT THEIR RECORD RUNS…
SALAH:
He is becoming a shoo-in for signing of the season. Bought from Roma for £39million, 17 of his 23 goals have come in the Premier League. Before this, his highest goal tally for a season was 19. HUNT:
In the 1961-62 season Hunt’s scoring saw Bill Shankly’s Liverpool crowned Second Division champions. Nat Lofthouse was his idol and Hunt’s 23 goals included three hat-tricks. The Liverpool Echo dedicated their front page to Hunt in September 1961 and wrote: ‘There are many who rate him as only a goal poacher — he is more than that.’
HOW THE FANS TOOK TO THEM…
SALAH:
He has 3.78million Twitter followers, at least one million more than any other Liverpool player. He is yet to receive a nickname from the fans — though ‘the Egyptian Messi’ was doing the rounds in the summer. HUNT:
One of the Kop’s most popular players who was affectionately called ‘Sir’ and the ‘Blonde Bomber’ by Liverpool fans. A capacity crowd of 56,000 packed out Anfield for his testimonial against an International XI in 1972, with thousands more reported to have been locked out.
THEIR PAY…
SALAH:
Earns £90,000 per week with Liverpool on a contract that runs until 2022. Those close to Liverpool say his ideal day is spending time with his family. HUNT:
Future World Cup winner Hunt took home £22. In big games, the players would get a small bonus for winning, too. Now lives in Warrington where he supports several local charities.
THEIR BEGINNINGS…
SALAH:
In a small farming village named Nagrig in Egypt, Salah would play football as a young boy on a scruffy pitch. The eldest of four children, he was spotted by scouts playing in Tanta at the age of 14 and invited to train with El Mokawloon, who would become his first club. Swiss side Basle signed him in 2012. HUNT:
Born in Glazebury, Lancashire, Hunt’s path could have been very different. He joined Bury as an amateur aged 17 but left to work for his family’s haulage business after the club could not decide whether to sign him full-time. He later joined the army and it was only while playing for Stockton Heath while on leave that he was spotted by Liverpool scout Bill Jones.
THEIR TROPHY CABINETS…
SALAH:
He won two Swiss titles with Basle. In Chelsea’s 2014-15 title winning season, he appeared only three times in the top flight. He also appeared twice as they won the League Cup. In a Christmas Day interview, he said he came to Liverpool to win more silverware. HUNT:
In 484 games for Liverpool, striker Hunt scored 285 goals. He won the Second Division once and First Division twice, as well as the FA Cup and three Charity Shields. Not to mention the World Cup. He certainly won the hearts of the Anfield faithful.