Of the comments directed by Mohamed Salah and his lawyer Ramy Abbas Issa towards the Egyptian Football Association over the last week, maybe the most significant was the Thomas Jefferson quote about dissent being the highest form of patriotism.

This does not seem like a convenient time to be considered one of the greatest footballers in the history of a country that has tilted back towards authoritarian rule and needs idols to enforce credibility and project the impression of it being a stable place, not only amongst foreign powers but its own people.

When it emerged in April that Salah had been the surprise runner-up in the Egyptian general election, it was widely greeted by Western eyes through the prism of football as a sort of cute reflection for the level of respect that exists for his achievements, the most relevant of which to those in his homeland had been scoring the goal that secured a first World Cup appearance in 28 years.

Liverpool vs Brighton Player Ratings 25-08-2018 Show all 23 1 /23 Liverpool vs Brighton Player Ratings 25-08-2018 Liverpool vs Brighton Player Ratings 25-08-2018 Liverpool 1-0 Brighton LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - AUGUST 12: (THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Mohamed Salah of Liverpool celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and West Ham United at Anfield on August 12, 2018 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images) Liverpool FC via Getty Images Liverpool vs Brighton Player Ratings 25-08-2018 Alisson - 7 His neat footwork was once again on display as he kicked off attacks from the back. He already has a strong command of his penalty area and caught a couple of crosses to ease the pressure the defenders in front of him. Showed a nice bit of skill to cheekily lift the ball over Knockaert as the Brighton man tried to close him down. Made an important save in the last minute to keep Liverpool ahead. AFP/Getty Images Liverpool vs Brighton Player Ratings 25-08-2018 Trent Alexander-Arnold - 7 Hit the crossbar with an early free kick that was swirling to take it away from the Brighton goalkeeper. Liverpool FC via Getty Images Liverpool vs Brighton Player Ratings 25-08-2018 Virgil van Dijk - 6 Was not given too much of a test in defence, but he did show his quality with some very precise cross-field passes to switch the play. AFP/Getty Images Liverpool vs Brighton Player Ratings 25-08-2018 Joe Gomez - 6 After only a few games together, Gomez and Van Dijk appear to be forming a very good partnership. Another good performance from Gomez who may begin to feel that he deserves a place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad when he announces it next week. Liverpool FC via Getty Images Liverpool vs Brighton Player Ratings 25-08-2018 Andy Robertson - 7 Pretty much played as a winger and tried to channel his inner Luke Shaw by attempting to produce a carbon copy of the United left back’s goal against Leicester, with less success. Liverpool FC via Getty Images Liverpool vs Brighton Player Ratings 25-08-2018 Naby Keita - 6 An early shout for signing of the season. Keita’s energy made it incredibly hard for Brighton to move up the pitch with the ball and he won the ball in good areas on several occasions. Getty Images Liverpool vs Brighton Player Ratings 25-08-2018 Georginio Wijnaldum - 6 Dropped the deepest of the midfield three to keep things ticking over with some nice touches and flicks. AFP/Getty Images Liverpool vs Brighton Player Ratings 25-08-2018 James Milner - 8 Was relentless in Liverpool’s midfield. His range of passing and crosses were once again very impressive. Became increasingly fed up with some of the Brighton challenges he was on the receiving end of. Getty Images Liverpool vs Brighton Player Ratings 25-08-2018 Mohamed Salah - 7 This is becoming a familiar sight in the Premier League, again. Scored at Anfield for the second consecutive game with a precise low curling effort into the bottom corner. AFP/Getty Images Liverpool vs Brighton Player Ratings 25-08-2018 Sadio Mane - 5 Almost scored when he met a cross but his header was tamer than it should have been. Was given very little space around the Brighton penalty area and unable to get to the grass behind the Liverpool defence. Liverpool FC via Getty Images Liverpool vs Brighton Player Ratings 25-08-2018 Roberto Firmino - 5 Remains the only player of the formidable front three yet to score a Premier League goal this season. Brighton were defending deep and limited the Space between the midfield and defence which Firmino likes to lurk. Getty Images Liverpool vs Brighton Player Ratings 25-08-2018 Matthew Ryan - 6 Should have done a lot better to prevent Salah’s goal. He got a hand to the low effort and should really have pushed it away, but instead he helped it into the bottom corner. AFP/Getty Images Liverpool vs Brighton Player Ratings 25-08-2018 Martin Montoya - 6 Continues to look like a very decent acquisition for Brighton. Moved the ball on well and won his individual duels. AFP/Getty Images Liverpool vs Brighton Player Ratings 25-08-2018 Shane Duffy - 6 Won a few important headers and defended well as part of a strong unit. Getty Images Liverpool vs Brighton Player Ratings 25-08-2018 Leon Balogun - 6 Worked hard in the Brighton's organised defence and took no chances at the back. Getty Images Liverpool vs Brighton Player Ratings 25-08-2018 Gaetan Bong - 6 Spent a lot of the game chasing Salah along the wing and was rarely given the chance to get forward. Liverpool FC via Getty Images Liverpool vs Brighton Player Ratings 25-08-2018 Anthony Knockaert - 6 Should have scored when Murray’s cut-back pass fell at his feet, but he could not sort himself in time to hit the ball cleanly. Knelt behind Brighton’s wall when Alexander-Arnold was lining up a free kick on the edge of the box to prevent the ball from going under the wall. Genius idea. Getty Images Liverpool vs Brighton Player Ratings 25-08-2018 Davy Propper - 6 Embarked on a couple of runs from deep but was left on his own and ultimately did not impact the game too much. Getty Images Liverpool vs Brighton Player Ratings 25-08-2018 Dale Stephens - 6 Made a few tackles in midfield and looked on of Brighton’s best players on the ball with some nice distribution Getty Images Liverpool vs Brighton Player Ratings 25-08-2018 Yves Bissouma - 5 Showed glimpses of promise on the ball, but was at fault for Liverpool’s goal. He assumed a little too much time on the ball and was pressed into giving it away before Salah’s goal. A rude awakening to life in the Premier League. Getty Images Liverpool vs Brighton Player Ratings 25-08-2018 Solly March - 6 Spent a lot of his evening chasing Alexander-Arnold along the wing and rarely got on the ball himself. Had an animated discussion with Bissouma over who will take an attacking free kick which had to be sorted by Bong. Getty Images Liverpool vs Brighton Player Ratings 25-08-2018 Glenn Murray - 7 Worked very hard and in his own half more often than he ventured into Liverpool’s territory as he spent a large amount of time defending. Battled hard and created a chance for Brighton with some tenacious running to set up Knockaert who missed his effort. Getty Images

More than one million Egyptians had reportedly struck out the names of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his only opponent, Moussa Mostafa Moussa, instead preferring to spoil the ballot and reflect preferences for Salah. It was believed that Moussa, a little-known politician before entering the race, had endorsed Sisi just days before allegedly registering himself at the regime’s request to avoid allegations of it being a single-candidate contest.

A vote for Salah was viewed as a safe form of protest at Sisi, a president who has curbed opposition since rising to power in 2014. Ahead of the election, five other major candidates had been either suspended or jailed while tens of thousands of Egyptians have been detained, particularly those with links to the party Sisi overthrew, the Muslim Brotherhood.

One of the figures targeted by Sisi had been Mohamed Aboutrika, the retired midfielder who preceded Salah as the focus for all of Egypt’s hopes and dreams – a towering icon regarded as the best African footballer never to play in Europe. Aboutrika, with his degree in philosophy, had celebrated the Arab Spring in 2011 and was considered a man of the people. When the Port Said Stadium disaster happened in 2012, Aboutrika helped a dying fan to the dressing room of his team Al Ahly, where he held him in his arms. “I’m glad I got to meet you,” were the 14-year-old’s final words.

Since January 2017, however, Aboutrika has been on Sisi’s terror watch list – suspected of helping finance the Muslim Brotherhood after the co-owner of a holiday company that he had an investment in was accused of “committing hostile acts against the state.” Having lived in exile in Qatar for nearly four years, Aboutrika’s assets are now frozen in Egypt and he will be arrested if he returns.

Salah remains in a public spat with the Egyptian FA (Getty)

It is improbable that Salah could not be affected by this development. Until April, the number at the end of Salah’s Twitter handle was a mark of respect to Aboutrika whose shirt had been the number 22. He and Aboutrika had been teammates at his point of entry to the national team under the American coach Bob Bradley, who said: “The big player for us was Mohamed Aboutrika…Salah looked up to him as a player and a man. You could tell he wanted to learn from [him] and do things the right way.”

Aboutrika’s fame and subsequent exile stands as a warning to every Egyptian that nobody is immune from the country’s politics. It is into this intense landscape, indeed, where Salah’s reputation has since risen.

It has suited the Egyptian FA to present Abbas this week as a bad influence only interested in money, in turn almost separating Salah from the latest diplomatic impasse between player and authority. After two letters sent on the player’s behalf were ignored by the EFA in August – one of which asked that his client be picked up from the airport in Cairo and taken to his hotel ‘in the most discreet manner possible’ – Abbas wrote: “I cannot think of any other national association which would treat any player in the disgraceful and abhorrent manner you have treated Mohamed.” There were also requests for security guards to accompany Salah to training and that calls to his hotel room blocked. There should be no promotional appearances or opportunities for pictures or autographs.

Aboutrika preceded Salah as the focus for all of Egypt’s hopes and dreams (Getty)

Salah was visibly uncomfortable during the World Cup when at Egypt’s training base in Chechnya he was given an honorary citizenship by the region’s leader, Ramzan Kadryov, and asked to pose for photographs in a controversial PR stunt that would not have been possible without the involvement of the Egyptian government.

It had been a tournament where preparations for Egypt’s game with Russia in St Petersburg was disrupted by celebrities and other notables filled the team hotel. As Salah pointed out with some understatement in one of his social media posts on Monday night. “when you have a player or players who get to sleep at 6am, there is a problem.” People were still arriving at Salah’s room at 4am despite his pleas for introductions to stop in the interests of professionalism and yet, as he says, “All this has been painted to make me appear like I am acting arrogant, but I am not.”

Salah poses with Ramzan Kadryov at the World Cup (AFP/Getty Images)

Having filled the vacuum left behind by Aboutrika, Salah is surely perceptive enough to know about the potential consequences of perception and this explains to some degree why earlier this year he made a donation to the Tahya Masr (Long Live Egypt) fund set up by President Sisi’s administration.