Heartbroken Mohamed Salah pays last respect to fallen former teammate Ahmed Refaat

Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah has been left devastated after the shock death of his former teammate Ahmed Refaat at the cruelly young age of 31.

Refaat, who had played alongside Salah in the Egyptian Premier League, passed away in the early hours of Saturday morning after spending four months in a coma following a cardiac arrest on the pitch.

The tragic incident occurred on March 11 during a league match for Refaat's club Modern Sport. 

He collapsed on the field and was immediately rushed to hospital, where he was placed into an induced coma for nine days.

Tragically, Refaat never recovered, with his club confirming his death in a heartbreaking statement on Saturday. 

He had represented both the Egyptian youth and senior national teams, earning seven caps for the latter - one of which came alongside Liverpool icon Salah.

Salah, who had reportedly made efforts to support Refaat after his initial collapse, took to Twitter to pay tribute to his former teammate, posting a heartbroken emoji along with the message: 

The untimely passing of such a talented footballer has left the Egyptian football community devastated. 

Refaat's career had spanned over a decade, with the striker also playing in the United Arab Emirates before his tragic death.

This is an unbearably sad loss that will be felt deeply, not least by Salah who has been left heartbroken by the sudden death of his former colleague.