I had no friends in football: Elhadary

Essam El-Hadary, Egypt's historic goalkeeper, admitted he had no friends in football.

El-Hadary said in statements to OnTime Sport channel: "Sherif Ekrami, Mohamed Al-Shennawi and others say they are friends in front of the cameras? I can say that too, but it will not be true."

"If their words were correct, then perhaps I am wrong, and for this reason I have continued for more than 25 years as number one."

El-Hadary continued, "In my career, I went into trouble with Thabet Al-Batal, Shoubir and Mustafa Kamal, and then with Abdel Wahid El-Sayed, Mohamed Abdel-Monsef and Mohamed Sobhy. Then Sherif Ekramy and Ahmed El-Shennawy. In the end I was always Number 1 for 25 years."

The 47-year-old continued, "Do not think that in football there are players in the same position as friends. In my entire career, maybe I have a relationship with Mohamed Shawky, Mohamed Zidan and Ahmed Elmohamady. They are not my friends and we go out together but I have a relationship with them."

"Out of the stadium, my friends and I wish them well. On the field (I don’t have mercy on me)."

Essam El-Hadary was the goalkeeper of the Egyptian team for 22 years from 1996 to 2018.

El-Hadary has been crowned the nations of Africa four times in 1998, 2006, 2008 and 2010. He participated in the 2018 World Cup finals as the largest player to participate in the World Cup historically.