Mohamed Salah has been reunited with Liverpool fan Isaac Kearney in an emotional video as the pair met in Turkey, where Salah now plays for Trabzonspor.
Heartwarming reunion in Trabzon
The young boy from Kirkby, who has captured hearts worldwide, was born with Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that means he develops at a slower rate than other children his age. His parents, Melissa and Alan, have highlighted the day-to-day realities for Isaac through social media, gathering over one million followers on TikTok alone.
Isaac was the star of a video last year that featured Salah and Virgil van Dijk, and has also been a mascot where he met Liverpool's first team.
Special moments with Salah and Onana
The eight-year-old was seen in an Instagram video flying out to Turkey, where Salah now plays for Trabzonspor. Former Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana, now at the Turkish club, was also seen gifting his gloves to Isaac.
The caption on the video read: "More than a club." Among those to comment was Liverpool legend Ian Rush, who sent a red love heart emoji.
Isaac's account of the experience
Isaac posted several posts about his experience on Instagram. One read: "What a day!!!! @trabzonspor & @turkishairlines worked together and flew us out to surprise Mo. I have been SO EXCITED to share with you all."
He added: "What a club Trabzonspor are for helping to create this amazing moment! A day we will never forget. Also a HUGE thank you to @andreonana.24 for gifting Isaac some signed gloves! He wore them all the way back to the hotel."
Isaac also wrote: "At this point I still thought 'This can't be real' It was only once we touched down in Trabzon I knew it was happening…"
Salah's departure from Liverpool
Isaac's reunion with Salah comes months after the Egyptian left Merseyside. The 34-year-old departed after nearly a decade at Anfield, having won numerous major honours since arriving under Jurgen Klopp in June 2017, including two Premier League titles, the Champions League, the FA Cup and two League Cups.
When his exit was confirmed, Salah shared an emotional video to Liverpool fans on social media. He said: "Hello everyone, unfortunately the day has come. This is the first part of my farewell. I will be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season."
He continued: "I wanted to start by saying that I never imagined how deeply this club, this city, these people would become part of my life. Liverpool is not just a football club, it's a passion, it's a history, it's a spirit. I can't explain in words to anyone not part of this club."
Salah added: "We celebrated victory, we won the most important trophies and we fought together through the hardest time in our life. I want to thank everyone who was part of this club throughout my time here, especially the teammates past and present."
He concluded: "And to the fans, I don't have enough words. The support you showed me through the best time of my career and you stood by me in the toughest times. It's something I will never forget and something I will take with me always. Leaving is never easy. You gave me the best time of my life. I will be always one of you. This club will always be my home to me and to my family. Thank you for everything. Because of all of you, I will never walk alone."
