Salah: Zidane was my childhood hero Real Madrid vs Liverpool Egyptian confessed before Champions League final

Liverpool will be looking to their top scorer Mohamed Salah to inspire them to Champions League final victory in Kiev against Real Madrid on Saturday.

The forward has confessed that he will be in awe when he takes to the pitch, coming up against one of his childhood idols in Zinedine Zidane.

"My childhood heroes? [Francesco] Totti, Brazilian Ronaldo, [Zinedine] Zidane," he admitted to UEFA's website before the clash.

Salah will be hoping to find a way past whatever his idol has planned to stop him and is relishing the challenge of facing Real Madrid.

"They are the team that has won this trophy more than anyone else, they've won the Champions League three times in the past four years, so they have a lot of experience," he said.

"They've won it before, but it's one game, not two, so we just need to focus and not think about anything in the past. When you get to the game it's just 11 against 11."

The prize of victory would be one of the biggest in world football, but Salah is happy just to have reached the final.

"I don't know what to say exactly, but to win the Champions League is something different," he reflected.

"It's something huge to win the Champions League, [playing in the final is] a dream come true. Everyone is excited in the city and at the club.

"I remember two years ago, I watched the final back in Egypt and I saw what the atmosphere was like."

This season has been by far his most prolific to date and he ended the season as the Premier League's top scorer, which Salah says was always his aim.

"Hard work has been the key," he insisted. "The most important thing is to maintain that level, to [keep] doing what I've done next season as well.

"Now we have a final, so we need to think only about the final. I believed [that I was capable of this form], I was at Roma for two years, had two great seasons there and everyone told me to stay, but it was in my mind to come and be successful in England."

Part of that has been down to the role of his new coach, Jurgen Klopp.

"Of course you do the things that he wants, but he gives you the freedom to play your own style of football," he explained.

"He always gives players the confidence to do what they want to do in games, it helps you to perform better, that's his strength, it's not just for me, it's for everyone.

"Everyone has confidence and that's why we score so many goals. He's not just my friend, he's a friend to everyone in the team."

Salah is also keen to point to his teammates, in particular Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane in attack, for his success.

"The most important thing for us is to help the team to score goals, it doesn't matter who scores," he said.

"Winning games, getting points, that's the most important thing for us because as you can see, I've scored ten goals in the Champions League, Sadio nine, Firmino ten, so all of us are the same.

"None of us is selfish or only wants to score. We try to help each other to score goals."

The Egyptian will be out to take that tally to at least 11 in Kiev as he hopes to get his hands on the Champions League trophy.