Mohamed Salah eager to 'say farewell in the right way' to Liverpool fans after scoring vital goal against Everton

Salah ensured his final appearance in the Merseyside derby would be one for the history books, opening the scoring at the Hill Dickinson Stadium as Liverpool secured a 2-1 win. The goal carried significant weight beyond the scoreline, as it saw the 32-year-old equal Steven Gerrard's record for the most Premier League goals scored by a Liverpool player in Merseyside derbies with nine strikes.

Reflecting on the hard-fought victory, which was eventually delivered by a stoppage-time Virgil van Dijk header, Salah stayed humble about his individual achievement. "It feels great, to be fair," he told Sky Sports.

"The most important thing was to help the team to just settle down and keep more confidence, because we knew before the game it was going to be tricky, it was going to be a difficult game. I'm glad in the end we managed to win the game."

With only five matches remaining in his Liverpool career, the reality of Salah's impending exit is starting to set in for the Anfield faithful.

The forward confirmed last month that he will be moving on at the end of the current campaign, ending a legendary stint on Merseyside that has seen him win every major honour available.

When asked if he had begun reflecting on his journey, Salah insisted his focus remains on the present. "No, but I wish I just keep scoring and help the team at least to achieve Champions League [qualification] this season. And hopefully I [say] farewell in the right way," he explained.

The significance of Salah’s departure is not lost on his team-mates, particularly club captain Van Dijk. The Dutch defender was full of praise for the man who has been his partner in success for the last eight years.

"There will be a lot of words coming out of my mouth over the next couple of weeks on him", Van Dijk said.

"But listen, he is so important for us, on and off the pitch. I would say, the appreciation sometimes comes a little bit when players are gone, but we appreciate him so much. He is an outstanding teammate to have, obviously we have been through everything together; highs, lows."

The final weeks of the season promise to be a sentimental period for everyone associated with the club. As Liverpool continue their push for a top-five finish and Champions League qualification, the contributions of Salah will remain vital to their hopes.

"He will still be important for the last five games that we have to play and then it will be emotional for him and his family, for sure," Van Dijk added.

"But for us as well, because he meant a lot to me, a lot to the team and to the fans of course. But first, we have still a job to do and he knows it -- that's the main focus."