Mohamed Salah wins FWA Footballer of the Year award writing more African history

Liverpool star Mohamed Salah has won the Football Writers' Footballer of the Year.

The Egyptian has enjoyed an incredible debut season at Anfield, scoring 43 times in all competitions.

He was named PFA Player of the Year last month and has now scooped another individual prize from the FWA.

Salah and Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne had been frontrunners for the award but the Egyptian has pipped him by less than 20 votes.

Salah joined Liverpool from Roma in a £34m deal last summer and his goals have taken Liverpool to the semi-finals of the Champions League.

He drew a rare blank in the draw with Stoke on Saturday but his attention will now turn to the semi-final second leg against his former club.

Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante won the award last year and Salah will be honoured at the Footballer of the Year dinner on May 10.

Over 400 journalists voted for their player of the year with Salah coming out on top, ahead of De Bruyne and Harry Kane.

The other players to receive votes were Sergio Aguero, Christian Eriksen, Roberto Firmino, David Silva, Raheem Sterling, Jan Vertonghen and Nick Pope.

"It's been the tightest call since 1968/69, when there was a dead heat between Tony Book of Manchester City and Derby's Dave Mackay," FWA chief Patrick Barclay said.

“Right up to the last week or so we thought it might happen again, so strong was the support for Kevin de Bruyne, but Mo Salah's relentless match-winning form, exemplified by his two great goals against Roma, seems to have swung the vote by a very narrow margin.

“What a race it has been between two players who, in a relatively short time, have reached genuine world class. But Mo Salah is the worthiest of winners. He is also the first African to receive the award and we congratulate him on a magnificent season.”

Salah is only the second non-European player to scoop the FWA prize after former Liverpool striker Luis Suarez - and the first African winner.

He also looks set to win the Golden Boot award to cap a stunning campaign on Merseyside.