Mohamed Salah has been crowned the Professional Footballers' Association's Player of the Year after an explosive first season at Liverpool.
Few could have foreseen the Egyptian magician's impact after he swapped Roma for Anfield last summer in a £34.3million deal.
It has certainly proven money well spent and Salah's exceptional performances have brought recognition from his peers in his first season back in English football.
The 25-year-old was named Player of the Year at the 45th PFA Awards at Grosvenor House in central London on Sunday evening, having seen off tough competition from Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne.
The pair have been the standout players of a memorable campaign, with the Belgium international playing an integral role as Pep Guardiola's swashbuckling side won the Premier League in style.
Leroy Sane - crowned PFA Young Player of the Year on Sunday - and David Silva were the other City players on the six-man shortlist, with outstanding Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea and free-scoring Tottenham striker Harry Kane completing the nominees.
But it is Salah that has come out on top after one of the greatest debut campaigns in Liverpool's history.
"It's a big honour. I've worked hard and I'm very happy to win it," Salah said at the ceremony on Sunday evening.
The PFA @premierleague Team of the Year!
— PFA (@PFA) April 22, 2018
🏆 #PFAAwards @OfficialPanini pic.twitter.com/ZVOQAJZpCN
Asked what it meant to become the first Egyptian to win the award, he said: "Hopefully I'm not the last one! I'm very proud to win and I've worked very hard."
His strike at West Brom on Saturday was his 31st Premier League goal of the campaign, tying the record for the 38-game season.
"You're comparing your name with some great names," he said, on the prospect of breaking the record. "To break the Premier League record is something huge in England and all over in the world.
"There are still three games to go. I want to break this record and also break the one for (42-game season). Let's see what will happen."
Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson insisted the standard of Salah's performances this season deserved comparison with those of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo and backed his team-mate to improve yet further.
"He's certainly up at that level this season," Henderson said. "Messi and Ronaldo have done it at that level for 10 years plus, but Mo is good enough to stay at this level and keep improving.
"Definitely this season in terms of the way he's played, the goals he's scored and the impact he's had on games, means he's up there with the best."
Chelsea Ladies forward Fran Kirby won the women's Player of the Year award, while Lauren Hemp of Bristol City secured the young player prize.
The PFA's Merit award went posthumously to Cyrille Regis, the former West Brom forward who died aged 59 in January.
The award was recognition of Regis' pioneering role in changing attitudes towards black footballers in England.
