Psychologist: Salah seeks respect through barber's scissors

Mohamed Salah's appearance with a new haircut in Liverpool training was somewhat strange to followers, as he abandoned his thick hair styled in the "Afro" style in a move that sports psychologist Zainab Atha considers a search for self-respect and confidence.

Salah kept his distinctive hairstyle for most of his experience with Liverpool, but his appearance with a new hairstyle raised some surprise, as some social media users interpreted it as him undergoing a hair transplant, while his new Dutch coach Arne Slot was surprised by the change in the Egyptian star's appearance.

Zainab Atha, a sports psychologist at Sheffield Hallam University, told The Athletic: Research has shown that self-respect and general appearance play a positive role in influencing athletes' performance.

Salah suffered a bad end to the season in the final meters of last season after his team Liverpool lost the lead and clashed with his coach Jurgen Klopp on the touchline in the West Ham match.

Atha continued: The hairstyle may mean that the player is open to a new beginning, and this may raise his morale and make him give his best. The famous website revealed the story of one of Salah's teammates in Liverpool who was afraid to change his hairstyle in case his level dropped, and it took him months to overcome that and change his appearance.