Nicknamed "El Maestro", for taking Al Ahly's football team to numerous victories.

Saleh was born on 11 September 1930 in Dokki, Giza, and his father is Dr. Mohamed Selim, a pioneer of Anesthesiology in Egypt.

Selim's father met his mother, Zein El Sharaf, while she was undergoing surgery at his hospital.

His first official game was against Alexandria in the third week of the Egyptian league championship season of 1948 where Al Ahly achieved victory.

Selim won 9 consecutive League titles with Al Ahly (1948–49 To 1958–59) (Egyptian all-time Record).

Saleh Selim was the first Egyptian soccer player in Austria and it was a "transfer-sensation" when he joined Grazer AK and scored 3 goals in 6 championship-games (10/6 with friendly-games included) for the oldest Styrian football club during the 1962–63 season.

He co-starred in the 1962 film Black Candles directed by Ezz El-Dine Zulficar, with Nagat El-Sagheera in the leading role where she sang her widely known song "Do not lie".