Tarek Hamed has been a mainstay of Egypt's squad in recent years, thanks to his combative displays in the heart of midfield and an admirable never-say-die attitude.

The 30-year-old played a key role in helping Zamalek win the African Confederation Cup this season, earning plaudits for snuffing out numerous threats, especially in the latter stages of Africa's secondary club competition.

He tirelessly roams around in midfield to close down spaces, possessing unique defensive capabilities that made him one of the indispensible players in Egypt's squad.

On the contrary to his abilities without the ball, Hamed has often looked poor in possession – at times struggling to control the ball well when receiving it from his center-backs during build-up play.

That point, in particular, has always appeared to be Hamed's biggest weakness, prompting opponents to target him whenever he received possession, causing him problems.

His passing abilities had also been questioned at times, with the 30-year-old lacking the needed creativity to unlock deep defenses.

Commendably, however, he worked to address his weaknesses and he showed great improvement in those aspects last season.

Hamed made his Egypt debut in March 2013 and went on to make 32 appearances. He was a key member of the Pharaohs side that finished runners up at the 2017 Nations Cup and qualified for last year's World Cup finals in Russia.