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Elmohamady: Former Aston Villa defender wants Premier League stay amid Al Ahly links
The former Egypt captain has opened up on his future after bidding farewell to Villa Park a fortnight ago
Former Aston Villa defender Ahmed Elmohamady has disclosed his intention to continue his career in the Premier League despite reports linking him with a move to Al Ahly.
The 33-year-old is currently a free agent after Dean Smith’s side failed to hand him a new deal at the expiry of his four-year contract.
Elmohamady has been playing in England since 2010 after he initially departed Egyptian club ENPPI on a season-long loan to Sunderland before it was made permanent in June 2011.
The Egypt international was part of the Aston Villa squad that earned promotion back to the Premier League in 2019 and he expressed satisfaction with his time at Villa Park even though he was restricted to 14 Premier League matches in the 2020-21 season.
“My contract with Aston Villa ended. I played four successful seasons with the team and I am completely satisfied with the period I spent with them,” Elmohamady said per King Fut.
“In my beginnings, I spoke and revealed that I support Al Ahly, so when some news appears indicating my return to Egypt, my name was linked with Al Ahly again.
“Al Ahly is a big club with great fans, and their name is well known in the world of football.
“My ambition is to retire in England and I will take my time to think about the future after the end of my career with Aston Villa to choose the best for me and my family.
“I have several offers and will continue my career in the Premier League.
“Aston Villa also spoke to me to be part of the coaching and technical staff after my retirement from football.”
Although he is yet to win any silverware in England, Elmohamady was part of the Hull City team that lost 4-3 to Arsenal in the 2013-14 FA Cup final and he also played in the 2019-20 League Cup final as Aston Villa suffered a 2-1 defeat against Manchester City.
He won two Africa Cup of Nations titles with Egypt (2008, 2010) and he was recently succeeded by Liveprool’s Mohamed Salah as Egyptian national team captain.