Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson will say their farewells to Anfield on Sunday when Liverpool host Brentford in the final match of the season — drawing the curtain on two of the most decorated careers in the club's history.

The pair arrived within weeks of each other in the summer of 2017, both carrying something to prove, and both repaid the club's faith many times over across nine trophy-laden years.

Unlikely routes to Anfield

Salah's path to Liverpool was far from straightforward. Manager Jurgen Klopp had initially targeted then Bayer Leverkusen forward Julian Brandt for the right side of the attack, but Brandt got cold feet over the move, fearing a lack of playing time. It was Liverpool's data analysts — among them Dr Ian Graham and Michael Edwards, now chief executive of football for Fenway Sports Group — who persuaded Klopp to turn instead to Salah, signing him from AS Roma for £34.3 million despite a difficult spell at Chelsea between 2014 and 2015 that yielded just 2 Premier League goals.

Robertson's story was even more remarkable. The Scot had been packing shelves at M&S; and playing for amateur side Queens Park in Glasgow's south side just a few years before Liverpool signed him from recently relegated Hull City for £8 million.

Instant impact

Salah wasted no time making his mark, scoring on debut at Watford before going on to net 32 goals in his first season — the most in a 38-game Premier League campaign. Former team-mate Adam Lallana, speaking on Sky Sports documentary Mo Salah: When he was King, recalled the Egyptian's immediate impression on those around him.

In the first week of training he was just completely different to what we had. His attitude and application immediately was at the level. What I could see straight away was that he'd already played in the Premier League — it was like he had a big, big, big point to prove.

Robertson's adjustment took longer. Klopp, who had told his new signing at their first meeting at his home in Formby that he admired his offensive qualities but was unimpressed by his defensive work, watched the full-back wait four months before nailing down a regular spot — a delay brought about by an ankle injury to Alberto Moreno that ultimately handed Robertson the platform he needed.

Defining moments against the giants

A seven-goal thriller against Manchester City at Anfield in January 2018 encapsulated what the duo were all about. Salah produced an outrageous long-range lob as City, then on their way to the title, suffered their first defeat of the season. Robertson's frantic press during that match went viral and has since been adopted by several coaches — including current Liverpool boss Arne Slot — as a teaching tool.

I think we all remember the press versus Man City, many, many managers showed that to their players. I was one of them,

Slot has said of the moment. Salah has scored 9 league goals against City in total, while his record against Liverpool's biggest rivals is equally formidable: 13 goal involvements against Manchester United — more than against any other club — and 9 against Everton. As Liverpool's all-time record scorer Ian Rush noted, it is those contributions that cemented Salah's legendary status with the supporters.

Numbers that define an era

Since his Liverpool debut, Salah leads the entire Premier League era in goals, total shots, shots on target, and assists — a set of statistics that underlines his dominance. Last season, aged 32, he produced the finest individual campaign of his career: 29 league goals and 18 assists, helping fire Liverpool to a record-equalling 20th top-flight title.

Robertson, meanwhile, has accumulated 60 assists — just 4 short of the Premier League record for a defender held by former team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold. Slot described him as one of the players who fundamentally redefined the full-back role, someone who is important on both sides of the pitch in a way that was rare before Robertson and Alexander-Arnold arrived on the scene together.

A legacy set in stone

Between them, Salah and Robertson have featured in 818 matches for the club, claiming 9 major trophies. Both will lead their national teams at this summer's World Cup, and the experience they take with them will be felt keenly at Anfield.