Trezeguet says Egypt retirement is not on his mind and urges Marmoush and Abdelkarim to avoid Salah comparisons

Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet says he has no intention of retiring from international football and remains ready to represent Egypt whenever he is called upon.

The 31-year-old Al Riyadh midfielder also warned against placing pressure on Omar Marmoush and Hamza Abdelkarim by expecting them to reproduce Mohamed Salah’s career, saying each player must be judged on his own circumstances and development.

Trezeguet joined Al Riyadh from Egyptian club Al Ahly this summer and said his move to the Saudi Pro League was based on a firm belief in the quality of the competition. He added that he felt comfortable in Saudi Arabia, which he described as his “second country”.

“One of the pleasant surprises for me has been seeing Egyptian fans in every stadium,” Trezeguet said in an interview with Rotana Sport with Walid. “We have a respected coach and an administration that provides everything we need. I am not thinking about international retirement. I am 31 years old and will always be at the service of the national team.”

The Egypt international said his previous experience in England and Turkey had given him a useful basis for assessing the organisation and standards of the Saudi league.

He said he had already been aware of the strength of the competition before moving to Al Riyadh and praised the facilities and structure surrounding it.

“I played in England and Turkey, so I can judge the level of organisation,” he said. “The Saudi league has organisational capabilities of the highest level.”

Trezeguet was also asked about Mohamed Salah’s spell with Trabzonspor. He revealed that officials from the Turkish club contacted him before Salah moved there and sought his opinion on the proposed transfer.

“I received a call from officials at Trabzonspor before Mohamed Salah joined the club,” he said. “They asked me for my view, and I advised Salah to take the experience in Turkey.”

The discussion then turned to which of Omar Marmoush or Hamza Abdelkarim could provide the best continuation of Salah’s career with the Egypt national team.

Trezeguet rejected the idea that either player should be placed under extra pressure simply because Salah has established himself as one of the country’s leading footballers. He stressed that Marmoush and Abdelkarim each had different personal circumstances and would follow their own individual paths.

Salah has been a central figure for Egypt for many years, but Trezeguet said the next generation should not be expected to copy his career or carry the burden of matching his achievements.

Trezeguet ended by praising Cristiano Ronaldo, describing the Portugal captain as the best player in history. He added that Ronaldo’s presence was highly valuable to the Saudi Pro League and to any team fortunate enough to have him.