Liverpool talisman Mo Salah has come out in favour of the taking the COVID-19 vaccine, just over a year on from when he contracted it last November.
When speaking with Egyptian television, Salah discussed his positive case last year and gave his reasons for supporting the vaccine.
“Not really a problem (his positive case), but they commented on getting it at a wedding party. But the people considered that it was my brother’s wedding, he won’t get married every day. I hope he doesn’t get married every day.
“They didn’t go beyond that. These things were in a locker room and I can’t talk about them, but it was not a disaster."
“They are doctors who have been working and studying medicine for years,” said Salah. If I said this is wrong, then I'll be like anyone in the street [who] said pass this ball here instead of this.
“(The doctors) said so and the World Health Organisation said so, so we need to follow them, that is my point of view.”
This is a positive move from Mo Salah given the sensitivity and the controversy around the subject of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Irish striker Callum Robinson came out in against the vaccine in October when he admitted he had not taken it. Robinson had previously missed Ireland’s August games after catching the virus.
At the time he said that, "I haven't been vaccinated, no. That's my choice at this moment in time.”
"It's obviously annoying that I've caught it twice but I haven't been vaccinated. Further down the line I could change my mind and want to do it, but at this moment in time I haven't been vaccinated, no."
While he was met with a significant amount of backlash, some teammates came to his defence.
John Egan said of the situation, “I was quite disappointed to see how many people jumped down his throat.”
Irish coach Stephen Kenny also came out in support of Robison, praising his honesty.
“He has attracted a lot of criticism because he just came into a press conference and where the vast majority of players refuse to answer the questions, he was open and transparent and he has been vilified for it.”
Robinson responded to critics by scoring twice against Azerbaijan and a hat-trick three days later against Qatar.
If Robinson’s honesty was a breath of fresh air then so is the positivity of Mo Salah and his reasoning for supporting the vaccine.
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