In Trezeguet, Al Riyadh have their Egyptian King gifting goals and guile
Less than two months after scoring for Egypt in their first win at a FIFA World Cup, one of The Pharaohs’ favourite sons has officially announced himself in the Roshn Saudi League.
Mahmoud Ahmed Ibrahim Hassan, better known as "Trezeguet", was the headline arrival through the doors at Al Riyadh this month, the winger bringing with him major top-flight experience from England, Belgium and Turkiye.
Not only that, but real attacking threat, as seen on Tuesday when Trezeguet opened his RSL account with a goal an assist in the madcap match at Al Shabab.
But why is his signing so significant? And what will he add to a capital club who have battled relegation in recent years? Well, let us explain.
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From Egypt with Love
The arrival of Trezeguet continues the long history and connection between the two football powerhouses of the MENA region.
Saudi Arabia has often been cited as “a second home” for Egyptian footballers, with many of the country’s finest gracing RSL pitches - often with great success. Without doubt, Trezeguet fits comfortably on that list.
Mohamed Barakat, who like Trezeguet came through the system at Cairo powerhouses Al Ahly, played for their Saudi namesake, Al Ahli, for a season more than two decades ago. More recently, Mohamed Abdel Shafy did likewise during Al Ahli's march to the 2015-16 RSL title.
“In the Kingdom, I never felt that I was outside Egypt,” Abdel Shafy previously said.
Meanwhile, legendary goalkeeper Essam El Hadary previously represented Al Taawoun, with Al Ittihad also boasting a fine history of attracting Egypt’s best, from Emad Moteab at the beginning of the Saudi Pro League era, to more recent representatives such as Ahmed Hegazi and Tarek Hamed. All three are RSL title winners.
Speaking of his time at Al Ittihad, Moteab said: “I didn’t feel I was outside my homeland Egypt; I felt I was among my family.”
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Clinical cutting edge
In terms of what Trezeguet will add on the pitch, the answer is simple: directness and goals.
While he is nominally a winger, he isn’t one who merely bombs up and down the wings. Trezeguet is more direct in his play, attacking defenders and space, and always looking to get into goalscoring positions. Often, it’s as much about what he does without the ball as what he does with it.
His coach at Aston Villa, Dean Smith, captured perfectly the player’s style after he signed for the English Premier League side in 2019.
“He's the type of wide player that we have been looking for who is direct, causes problems for the opposition in the final third, and scores goals,” offered Smith.
A year later, after Trezeguet struck six goals in his first Premier League season, Smith remarked: “His attitude is spot on, and he works his socks off.”
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Elite-level knowhow
At 31, the veteran still has time on his side, ut he also brings a wealth of experience that will prove invaluable for Al Riyadh this season.
There can be no greater honour for any player than to play at a FIFA World Cup, and Trezeguet is lucky enough to have done so are two separate tournaments.
First, in 2018, when he started for Egypt in their group-stage defeat to Saudi Arabia, and then again at this summer’s edition in North America. There, he not only helped Egypt win their first-ever matches at a global finals, but also push reigning champions Argentina all the way in the Round of 16.
At club level, aside from his spells in the Premier League and in Turkiye – featuring for several clubs there, he really left his mark at Trabzonspor - for an Egyptian player it doesn’t get much bigger than representing Al Ahly.
During his time at the club, Trezeguet won two CAF Champions League titles and went on to play at three FIFA Club World Cups.
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Man for grand occasion
Above all, what Trezeguet can offer on the pitch this season will prove most important, especially to a side that last term only just avoided relegation because they struggled to find the back of the net.
If we draw parallels with his time in Turkiye - probably the closest comparison to the RSL outside of his time in his homeland - Trezeguet finished three of his four full seasons with 10 or more goals. For sure, that’s a more-than-healthy return for a wideman, with those four campaigns comprising 43 goals and 23 assists.
Plus, looking at Trezeguet’s career as a whole, it’s not just that he scores goals, it's when he does.
Take, for example, the stoppage-time winner for Aston Villa against Leicester City in the League Cup semi-final in 2020, or the decisive goals against Arsenal and Crystal Palace that helped Villa avoid relegation in 2019-20.
Or, indeniably, the extra-time effort that took Egypt past Morocco in the 2022 African Cup of Nations quarter-finals.
Trezeguet gave more than a hint of that prowess on Tuesday night when, in his third RSL appearance, he got off the mark with a goal - and an assist - for Al Riyadh in the 3-3 thriller at Al Shabab.
Certainly, as his past portrays, he is a man for the big moments.
So, if Trezeguet can deliver those numbers and that decisiveness for Al Riyadh this season, it will go a long way to continuing Egypt’s indeliable imprint on the RSL.
