Mohamed Salah joined a prestigious club of Liverpool legends on Wednesday night when he danced around the Porto six-yard box to score his 30th goal of the season.
In just his debut season after joining from Roma last summer, Salah became the 13th player to reach that landmark in a red shirt and the first since Luis Suarez in 2014.
He joins a stellar list that includes such stellar names since 1962 as Roger Hunt, Kenny Dalglish, Ian Rush, John Aldridge, Robbie Fowler, Fernando Torres and Suarez.
Mohamed Salah celebrates after doubling Liverpool’s lead away in Porto on Wednesday night
Before the arrival of Bill Shankly in 1959, Billy Liddell, John Evans, Gordon Hodgson, John Parkinson and Sam Raybould, who was the first back in 1902-03, reached 30.
Salah has some way to go to match the feats of Hunt and Rush, who reached the landmark five times each.
His 30th on Wednesday, achieved with impish improvisation after juggling the ball in the Porto six-yard box with his head and that magical left boot, made him the second-fastest Liverpool player to the total, behind George Allan in 1896.
Big things were expected of Salah when he joined from Roma last summer, but there were questions over his suitability to English football after struggling at Chelsea earlier in his career.
The Egyptian’s moment of individual magic helped Liverpool towards a 5-0 win
He juggled the ball inside the Porto six-yard box before firing home from close rnage
The Egyptian’s goal took his season tally to 30 – the 13th to reach that landmark for Liverpool
| Player (No of 30 goal seasons) | Total goals | Season | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Raybould (1) | 32 | 1902-03 | |
| Jack Parkinson (1) | 30 | 1909-10 | |
| Gordon Hodgson (2) | 32 | 1928-29 | |
| 36 | 1930-31 | ||
| John Evans (1) | 33 | 1954-55 | |
| Billy Liddell (2) | 31 | 1954-55 | |
| 32 | 1955-56 | ||
| Roger Hunt (5) | 42 | 1961-62 | |
| 33 | 1963-64 | ||
| 37 | 1964-65 | ||
| 32 | 1965-66 | ||
| 30 | 1967-68 | ||
| Kenny Dalglish (1) | 31 | 1977-78 | |
| Ian Rush (5) | 30 | 1981-82 | |
| 31 | 1982-83 | ||
| 47 | 1983-84 | ||
| 33 | 1985-86 | ||
| 40 | 1986-87 | ||
| John Aldridge (1) | 31 | 1988-89 | |
| Robbie Fowler (3) | 31 | 1994-95 | |
| 36 | 1995-96 | ||
| 31 | 1996-97 | ||
| Fernando Torres (1) | 33 | 2007-08 | |
| Luis Suarez (2) | 30 | 2012-13 | |
| 31 | 2013-14 | ||
| Mohamed Salah (1) | 30* | 2017-18 |
He was quick off the mark, finding the back of the net on his debut against Watford and he had reached six by the end of September.
The Egyptian then found a purple patch of form in November, with braces against West Ham, Southampton and Stoke.
After a stunning goal against Everton in December’s Merseyside derby he reached his 20th of the campaign before Christmas, another solo strike at Bournemouth.
As the season approaches its business end, Salah now appears to be hitting his best form yet with six goals in his last five games.
And Wednesday night’s piece of individual brilliance put Liverpool in control as they roared to an emphatic 5-0 win in Portugal.
Luis Suarez was the last Liverpool player to hit 30 goals in a campaign during 2013-14
Before him Fernando Torres scored 33 goals for Liverpool during the 2007-08 campaign