Mohamed Salah’s Trabzonspor debut begins with a number rich in local meaning

Mohamed Salah has signalled his connection with Trabzonspor before playing a single minute for the Turkish club, choosing the number 61 instead of the number 11 he wore throughout his Liverpool career.

Images and video released by Trabzonspor on Wednesday showed the Egypt captain wearing the club’s shirt while travelling on a plane bound for Turkey. Salah was on his way to complete his medical and sign his official contract, with the number 61 clearly visible on his back.

The choice prompted widespread interest because Salah had been strongly associated with the number 11 during his years at Liverpool. Earlier reports had suggested that he would continue with that number at Trabzonspor, but the club’s official images settled the question.

Number 61 has a particular significance for the people of Trabzon. It is the Turkish vehicle registration code for Trabzon province and, over time, has become one of the city’s most recognisable symbols of identity and belonging.

That association extends beyond football. The number is commonly used in the names of businesses and in social media accounts across the city. Trabzonspor shirts bearing 61 are also regarded with special affection by the club’s supporters, giving Salah’s selection a meaning that goes beyond the usual allocation of a squad number.

The club documented Salah’s journey to Turkey in a video shared with supporters. In the footage, the 34-year-old addressed the people of Trabzon directly, saying: “Trabzon, are you ready? I am here, see you soon.. Wherever we are, Trabzon is here”.

The message came before Salah had completed his medical or formally signed his contract, but the shirt images provided an early indication of how his arrival was being presented. Rather than appearing in the number previously expected, he was shown wearing the number most closely associated with the city.

Salah’s move to Trabzonspor follows the end of his contract with Liverpool. He has joined the Turkish club as a free agent, beginning a new chapter after his time at Anfield.

Although he has yet to make his first appearance for Trabzonspor, his decision to wear 61 has already attracted attention among the club’s supporters. It offers an immediate symbolic link between one of football’s best-known Egyptian players and the city he is now preparing to represent.

The number also ensures that Salah’s first public appearance in Trabzonspor colours is about more than the transfer itself. Before his debut, his medical or the formal completion of the move, the shirt has already delivered a message intended for the local audience: his arrival is being connected to Trabzon’s own identity from the outset.