Mohamed Salah insisted Liverpool’s Champions League victory is just ‘the start’ as he set his sights on Premier League success next season in the aftermath of an unforgettable evening in Madrid.
The Reds clinched their first trophy under Jurgen Klopp and sixth European Cup overall as they beat Tottenham 2-0 in a cagey and occasionally nerve-shredding game at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium on Saturday.
Until full-time in the Spanish capital, Klopp’s reign had largely been characterised by near misses, with the German having overseen three final defeats and a trophyless 97-point Premier League season.
But, having finally earned that first piece of silverware, Salah is hoping to usher in a glorious era at Anfield that would see the club’s lengthy title drought ended.
He said: “With Liverpool, the Champions League, [it is] something special. The first trophy and it's the Champions League!
“It's the start. It's the first competition. We will go next season for the Premier League.
"This season was the first season we were really fighting for the Premier League, last season we were basically fighting for the Champions League. The year before the Europa League.
“The average age of 26/27 so we still have young players. It is good experience for us to win the trophy now and also last season we learned a lot."
Salah marked the end of a compelling personal journey that began with him going off injured in the early stages of last season’s final defeat to Real Madrid by scoring in Liverpool’s win this time around.
And the Egyptian revealed how a picture of his tear-stained departure from the field in Kiev served as motivation ahead of this year’s showpiece.
He added: “I looked at the picture from last year before the game.
“We were a little bit disappointed after the final and now we are back and have won it again, the sixth time for Liverpool, it is something great.
“I didn't look at the picture for a long time. I just looked at it one time and said 'OK, let's go'.
"I was very disappointed that I got injured and went out after 30 minutes and we lost the game. It was something to motivate me to win today."
Salah had yet to touch the ball before he was tasked with beating Hugo Lloris from 12 yards just two minutes into the final, but explained why he did not feel under pressure.
He continued: “I prepared myself before the game. I scored a penalty to send Egypt to the World Cup after 28 years in the last minute, so that was easier.”
