Liverpool star Mohamed Salah has issued a passionate message to Egypt fans, urging them to support the team during the Africa Cup of Nations.
The Reds forward is currently with his country at the tournament being hosted in Cameroon.
Egypt are through to the last 16, where they take on the Ivory Coast on Wednesday afternoon.
Salah has one goal to his name so far in the competition and he is hoping that he can help guide Egypt to the quarter-finals later today.
SPECIAL REPORT: Inside Liverpool contract negotiations after 'crazy' Mohamed Salah admission
READ MORE: Liverpool star Sadio Mane posts update from hospital after AFCON injury scare
However, the 29-year-old used his pre-match press conference to issue an urgent plea to supporters to support the whole team and not just individual players, like himself.
And Salah went on to argue why he thinks social media has had a negative effect on the way people follow and support football in the modern era.
“I’m 100% happy with the players and I don’t think I spoke badly about anyone or vice versa. I try as much as possible to pass on the experience that I got playing abroad and help the national team,” said Salah in the pre-match press conference, quoted by King Fut .
He added: “I feel that sometimes there are those who are waiting for any excuse to talk about Salah or other players, unfortunately, we live in the era of social media and the national team’s popularity has decreased. People support clubs and fans support players.
“It was not like that before and Egyptian football is now divided. We saw pages created for specific players or clubs, made only to defend them. They think that this is a good thing, but it is not.
“It’s definitely not helpful, you won’t hurt Mohamed Salah because I’ve been through things like that, but it will definitely hurt younger players.
“I don’t come to the national team in order to harass someone or to speak to anyone in a press conference.
“I have one piece of advice, if you think that I have succeeded abroad, don’t support a particular player or a particular club, for example, Al Ahly fans don’t only talk about Al Ahly players or Zamalek fans don’t only talk about their players.
“We are the Egyptian national team, and in order for us to win, each player must feel that the fans are behind the team. This won’t affect Mohamed Salah, because I have been playing international football for 10 years, but there are other players who just joined for the first time, and they are, God willing, the future of this team.
“This is my advice to people and I don’t mean to attack anyone, as it’s not in my interest to do so. I hope that you will support the national team as it was in the past.
“If you love Egypt and the Egyptian national team, you should support the team and not a specific player. You harm the player and make him feel that he’s more important than the team, and this is not true. There is no player more important than the team, whether it’s me or anyone else.
“Also, my message to people in the TV studios is that I hope you can talk about the entire team and not one or two individuals. I don’t follow these shows, but there are those who follow and are affected by them.
“Keep supporting the team until the end of the tournament and then talk about each player.
“There are players who didn’t play in the last Africa Cup of Nations, if you want the team to win, everyone must unite.”
