Liverpool's Mohamed Salah wins PFA Player of the Year

April 23 (UPI) -- Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has been named the 2017-2018 Professional Footballers Association Player of the Year.

Salah beat out Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne, Leroy Sane and David Silva for the award. He also edged Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea and Tottenham Hotspur forward Harry Kane. Chelsea's Fran Kirby won the women's Player of the Year award.

The awards were presented at the 45th PFA Awards Sunday at Grosvenor House in central London.

Salah has 41 goals in his first season for Liverpool. He joined the club in June from AS Roma. The Egyptian tied a Premier League record with his 31st league goal of the season on Saturday against West Bromwich Albion.

The Liverpool star has those 41 scores in 46 appearances this season.

"It's a big honor, I feel great about it. I work very hard so am very happy to win it," Salah told the PFA.

Salah's Reds return to Champions League action with a game against his former Roma squad at 2:45 p.m. Tuesday at Anfield in Liverpool, England.

"My personal thing is to win something with the team," Salah said. "I always think about the team, I don't think about myself, so the most important thing for me is to win something with the team."

"We are very close now, in the [Champions League] semi-final, so hopefully we're going to win it."

Salah has eight goals in the Champions League, tied for second with teammate Roberto Firmino and Sevilla's Wissam Ben Yedder. Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo leads the Champions League with 15 goals, entering the semifinals.