Mohamed Salah has reunited with Liverpool superfan Isaac Kearney in Turkey, where the eight-year-old was invited to watch his hero play for his new club Trabzonspor. Isaac, who was born with the rare genetic disorder Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome, has become a cult hero among Liverpool supporters in recent seasons.
A friendship that began in 2024
Isaac went viral on social media in 2024 with his renditions of Liverpool-themed songs, played on his toy guitar. That led to a meeting with Salah and Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk, who surprised him with a visit to his school in December 2024. The pair then offered him the chance to tour their training ground and meet the rest of the squad.
Isaac later watched a training session and was named as an official mascot for Liverpool's Premier League clash with Manchester City, which the Reds won 2-0.
From Merseyside to Trabzon
Isaac's mother, Melissa, previously said of the initial meeting: "They were so caring towards Isaac. They were so genuine, I couldn't have wished for anything better, really. They were lovely. We were all treated like we had known them for a long time." She added: "He [Salah] was asking Isaac, how was school, has he been going to the game, things like that, so that was really nice."
Salah has since left Merseyside to join Turkish side Trabzonspor, but the pair's friendship has continued. Isaac was flown out to Turkey on a Turkish Airlines flight this week and was given special access to Trabzonspor's training ground. Wearing the shirt of Salah's new club, Isaac shouted 'surprise' across the pitch, prompting Salah to smile and walk over to hug his friend.
A mascot once again
Isaac also met former Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana, who gave him his gloves. He then served as mascot for Trabzonspor's Europa League play-off clash with Hungarian side Ferencvaros, walking out onto the pitch hand-in-hand with Salah. Isaac cheekily asked Salah: "Are you going to score for us?"
Isaac posted a picture of him and his hero on social media afterwards, writing: "Teacher - What did you get up to during the summer holidays Isaac? Isaac - Me? I flew all the way to Turkey and walked out in front of a crowd of 40,000 fans with my friend the Egyptian King!"
