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Mohamed Salah will either face a warning or points on his licence and a fine.

Liverpool FC had little option but to refer the matter to Merseyside Police after footage surfaced on social media of the Egypt winger holding his phone while driving following Sunday's win over West Ham at Anfield.

The law still applies if you're queuing in traffic or stopped at the lights. Salah made a mistake and will have to take whatever punishment comes his way.

However, the reaction in some quarters to the 71-second video which was posted on Facebook has been ridiculous.

Salah has been criticised for failing to wind down the window of his Mercedes to sign autographs as he slowly made his way down Utting Avenue.

It's been held up in some quarters as proof that millionaire footballers are aloof and simply don't care about the fans. It's a lazy stereotype and in Salah's case it's simply not true.

For a start, players are advised not to sign autographs in such a situation.

(Image: Liverpool FC)

Salah, who had his young family in the car with him, was on a busy road and with traffic stop-start there would have been a safety risk with so many youngsters around.

In the video the 26-year-old clearly feels awkward. He reaches for his phone and scrolls down as it's a way to avoid making eye contact with those pursuing him.

It's not in his nature to blank anyone. Salah is warm and engaging – underlined by the manner in which he had embraced a young pitch invader who had made a beeline for him at Anfield little over an hour earlier.

Aside from the safety issue, Liverpool have had numerous problems with adults paying kids to get shirts and memorabilia signed for them before selling them at a vast profit online, and increasingly the players know who to avoid.

A man in the video is heard shouting aggressively: “Come on Mo, come on Mo.” When he doesn't get his own way and a relieved Salah drives off, he shouts: “He's a horrible man.”

Try telling that to Liverpool fan Sean Brown. The Kopite posted a video on Twitter of his disabled daughter Lucy singing the Salah song.

Last season's 44-goal hero spotted it online and posted a signed shirt to her.

Try telling that to the lads at Boss Night. When Salah heard that they were putting on a gig in Dublin earlier this month he dispatched a signed shift and helped raise £1,400 for Sean Cox's family.

Try telling that to the thousands of fans who got autographs and selfies with Salah over the course of pre-season. He spent more than an hour after the final friendly against Torino going around Anfield meeting supporters.

The tales of generosity from his homeland are countless.

From paying for a special unit at the local hospital in Nagrig to gym equipment for the community centre and an all-weather pitch for kids to play on. He has also bankrolled the Association of Veteran Egyptian Players and medical treatment for kids battling cancer.

Salah has become a global superstar at Liverpool but he remains humble and grounded. Fame hasn't changed him.

During the recent tour of America, Jurgen Klopp spoke about the Salah-mania that accompanied the Reds' every move.

"It is quite difficult and we have to protect him in these situations," Klopp said.

"You cannot go there and be friendly to everyone, but that is what is in him.

"You can't ask 'what's your story?' and chat about their family when there's 3,000 people waiting. Players are sometimes too young to make these decisions on their own so we help them."

Salah made a mistake when he reached for his phone while at the wheel on Sunday but that was all he did wrong. Any other criticism is misplaced.

He's an exceptional footballer and an even better man.