Salah urges for change in treatment of women in Arab world

He said the treatment of women "in my culture and in the Middle East" had changed his opinions on gender issues.

Liverpool's Egyptian football star Mohamed Salah has spoken of the need for change in the way women are treated in the Muslim world.

"I think we need to change the way we treat women in our culture. It's not optional," Salah was quoted as saying In an interview with TIME magazine -- a clip of the interview has been shared by Salah on his Twitter handle.

"I support the woman more than I did before, because I feel like she deserves more than what they give her now, at the moment," Salah said in the interview published on Wednesday.

He said the treatment of women "in my culture and in the Middle East" had changed his opinions on gender issues.

The 26-year-old Liverpool forward was named one of TIME magazine's 100 most influential figures of the year, alongside other athletes including Tiger Woods, LeBron James and Naomi Osaka.

Salah helped Egypt qualify for the 2018 World Cup, the first time they had reached the finals of the event since 1990.

He was named African Footballer of the Year in 2017 and 2018 and was also English football's Player of the Year in 2017-2018 following a dazzling season with Liverpool.