A boy from Cairo who arrived in Germany at the age of 17 from the Egyptian second league had to "arm" himself with patience and build a long path to his dreams...
Life in football wasn't easy for Omar Marmuš, he searched for a long time, went on loan, and then he "exploded" - speed, talent, incredible finishing and everything that was hidden in him managed to "draw" Eintracht Frankfurt.
So much so that after his first season in the "Eagles" jersey, he scored double-digit goals in the Bundesliga for the first time (12), and then this season he became the first star of the German championship - in just half a season, he scored 15 times and set up nine goals.
It was the moment for an irresistible call to arrive - the English champion and the great Pep Guardiola have been stronger since this January for the new Egyptian sensation, who turns 26 in February.
"Citizens" today made the 75 million euro deal official - Omar Marmus is Manchester City's new "number 7".
The arduous journey paid off, and the BBC writes that Marmuš's career might have gone in the wrong direction if Ryan Giggs hadn't noticed him at a tournament in Dubai when he was 17 years old.
The Manchester United legend then, as a UEFA representative, drew the attention of his agent to the fast-footed Egyptian, and he immediately informed Pierre Litbarski, a scout at Wolfsburg.
"It was immediately clear that he was a diamond in the rough. He was fast, technically strong, with a strong will, but coming to Germany from Cairo for a 17-year-old was a whole new world," Litbarski said.
This guy's love for football was immense...
"All he was interested in was playing, he always wanted to play - he's a typical footballer from the concrete, from the streets, so when it came to getting into the system it was a little harder," added Litbarski, a world champion with Germany at the 1990 World Cup.
The street boy, after unsuccessful episodes in Wolfsburg, St. Pauli and Stuttgart, became an idol for Eintracht fans in just two years - in 67 matches he scored 37 goals and set up 20 of them.
For that, he will always be grateful to the team from Frankfurt, but above all to coach Dino Topmeler, the man who found a way to turn a rough diamond into a 75 million euro striker.
In the end, fate or something else, it turns out that the new super signing for city rivals Manchester City was discovered by Giggs, the Manchester United legend.
Everything is ready for the Omar Marmoush era in the Premier League, Egypt can now enjoy the mastery of its two great footballers, because Mohamed Salah has long been a legend of Liverpool and the English championship.
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