Salah wins FWA Footballer of the Year after incredible Liverpool season

Mohamed Salah has won the FWA Footballer of the Year award after his incredible debut season at Liverpool.

Salah has scored 43 goals in 48 appearances so far this season, with the Reds currently third in the Premier League table and preparing for a Champions League semi-final second leg clash with Roma. The aggregate score stands at 5-2, with Salah netting twice against his former club.

The Egypt international also won the PFA Player of the Year prize, beating Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne to the prize.

A total of 400 journalists voted for the FWA award, with Salah and De Bruyne polling more than 90 per cent of member votes, with the former Chelsea attacker eventually beat the Belgian by less than 20 votes.

Tottenham striker Harry Kane, who continues to battle Salah for the Premier League Golden Boot, placed third.

Salah becomes only the second non-European player to win the FWA award, after Luis Suarez, who also won the gong while at Liverpool in 2013-14.

A number of players have won both the PFA and FWA awards throughout the history of the Premier League, with N'Golo Kante doing so in 2016-17, along with previous double winners Eden Hazard, Suarez, Gareth Bale, Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry, Teddy Sheringham, Roy Keane, David Ginola and Dennis Bergkamp.

FWA chairman Patrick Barclay said: “It's been the tightest call since 1968/69, when there was a dead heat between Tony Book of Manchester City and Derby's Dave Mackay.

“Right up to the last week or so we thought it might happen again, so strong was the support for Kevin De Bruyne, but Mo Salah's relentless match-winning form, exemplified by his two great goals against Roma, seems to have swung the vote by a very narrow margin.

“What a race it has been between two players who, in a relatively short time, have reached genuine world class. But Mo Salah is the worthiest of winners. He is also the first African to receive the award and we congratulate him on a magnificent season.”