Marmoush or Hamza? A surprising opinion from Trezeguet on Salah’s successor

Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet moved to the Saudi Pro League with complete conviction in the level of the competition, the Al-Riyadh man has confirmed. He feels comfortable in the Kingdom, a country he now considers his second home.

One of the things that has pleased him most during his current stint, Trezeguet explained, is seeing Egyptian fans dotted around the stadiums. He had warm words for both the coach and the Al-Riyadh hierarchy, insisting the team has every resource it needs to hit its targets.

Trezeguet, who joined Al-Riyadh from Al-Ahly this summer, also addressed his future with Egypt. International retirement is not on his mind. He’ll stay ready to answer his country’s call at any moment, especially as he is only 31, according to him.

His spells in England and Turkey, he told the “Rotana Sport with Waleed” programme, gave him a yardstick for judging how the Saudi league is run. The competition, he stressed, boasts organisational standards of the highest order.

Before Mohamed Salah’s switch to Trabzonspor, the Turkish club’s officials rang Trezeguet for his opinion. He told them he’d advised Salah to take the plunge in Turkey.

Asked who could best follow in Salah’s footsteps, Omar Marmoush or Hamza Abdelkarim, Trezeguet was clear. Every player has his own circumstances and his own career. He rejected the idea of piling pressure on anyone just to mirror what Salah has done.

The Egypt star signed off with praise for Cristiano Ronaldo. He rates the Portuguese the best player in history, and reckons his presence is a huge asset for the Saudi league and for any team.