British Museum unveils newest acquisition… Mo Salah’s Boots
By Alex Butler on Thursday, May 17, 2018
The British Museum took the football world by storm today with the acquisition of Mo Salah’s football boots.
The boots have been unveiled alongside objects from Ancient Egypt to tell a story of an Egyptian hero who has set European Football alight this season for Liverpool.
Mo Salah finished top scorer in the Premier League this season and recently achieved the unique double of PFA Player of the Year and Football Writers Player of the Year, two of the most respected awards in the English game.
Neal Spencer, Keeper of Ancient Egypt and Sudan at the British Museum said, “The boots tell a story of a modern Egyptian icon, performing in the UK, with a truly global impact, and build on our recent project to acquire objects to tell the story of daily life in 20th and 21st century Egypt.”
The donation, believed to be the first football boots to enter the British Museum, is part of a wider modern Egypt project launched in 2016 to bolster its collection of contemporary Egyptian material
The Adidas X17 Deadly Strike boots, specially moulded for Salah’s feet, will be displayed in a gallery in the British Museum containing gold pharaonic jewellery and ancient Egyptian footwear.
With the World Cup less than a month away, Egyptians will be hoping for more magic from their best player in the summer.
The British Museum’s latest addition expands the museum’s modern day profile of Egypt, which covers sport, entertainment, international trade and design.
The boots may not be as historic as Howard Carter’s discovery in the 1920s, but it’s a fitting tribute to an Egyptian and Anfield King who has delighted football fans the world over this season.