Mohamed Salah has opened up on the inner turmoil he felt following his shoulder injury in last season's Champions League final.
The Egyptian was forced off after after tussling with Sergio Ramos in the first half of Liverpool's 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid in Kiev , and immediately feared that he'd miss the World Cup in the summer.
Having scored 44 goals for the Reds across the course of the campaign, the injury was a cruel way for Salah to end his first season with the club, and he subsequently missed Egypt's first game at their first World Cup since 1990.
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"When I think about it, it was very, very bad," Salah told Bleacher Report's Taylor Rooks when discussing the injury.
"The final of the Champions League, a big dream for yourself, for the city, for the fans and for everyone. We wanted to win the Champions League.
"And that time... mentally, it was very, very bad. Especially when I got substituted, I went to the dressing room and was just crying because I felt like the Champions League was over and the World Cup was over, so it was very tough for me at that moment.
"I think it still hurts until now, because you didn't win it. You were close to winning the Champions League, and you didn't win it. "
Salah joined the Egypt squad for the World Cup in Russia, but after missing the 1-0 defeat to Uruguay in their opening game, he returned to play in their next two matches.
However it was clear he wasn't fully fit, and Egypt crashed out at the group stages despite two Salah goals.
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"I went to play in the World Cup, it's a dream, but I'm not fit," he continued.
"I'd go to my room, I was almost crying every day.
"Before the first game, when I didn't play, I was in the bus and I was crying on the bus. I went to the bathroom and I was crying in the bathroom. Because I wanted to start the game! I want to play! But I know I am not fit at all to play.
"In one moment that disappeared. It was so difficult, so difficult."
However, Salah says that he's using the injury to help Liverpool go one better in the Champions League ahead of Wednesday night's semi-final against Barcelona.
"The next game against Barcelona . It is something very, very huge to play against Barcelona, semi-final, wow! " he said.
"We are the only team now in the semi-final from last season, so that's something very big for us. We've shown how much was are improving."
