Ahly midfielder Mohamed Barakat has retired, the club's football director Sayed Abdel-Hafiz announced on Wednesday.

Several reports suggested this week that the 37-year-old forward was considering retiring, before the player informed the club's board on Wednesday of his decision to hang up his boots.

”Barakat informed me that he has decided to retire and it is final," Abdel-Hafiz told the club's official website.

"We tried to convince him to reverse his decision but he insisted," he added

Barakat came through the youth ranks of Cairo second division side El-Sikka El-Hadid before joining Ismaily in 1998, where he rapidly established himself, with the club winning the Egypt Cup in 2000 and the Egyptian league two year later.

Following his huge success with Ismaily, he moved to the Qatari league to join Al-Arabi in 2002. 

After spending one year with Saudi club Ahly Jeddah, he returned to Egypt to join Cairo giants Ahly and became one of the key members of Ahly's golden generation who dominated the Egyptian League from his arrival in 2004 until the current day.

He also helped the team to win four Champions League titles.

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