1. Overview
Ahmed Eissa Elmohamady Abdel Fattah, widely known as Ahmed Elmohamady, is an Egyptian former professional footballer who primarily played as a right-back and also served as captain for the Egypt national football team. Born on September 9, 1987, in El Mahalla El Kubra, Egypt, he began his senior career in Egyptian football before moving to the Premier League in England. Throughout his notable career, Elmohamady became known for his consistent performances and versatility, contributing significantly to various clubs. He achieved three promotions to the Premier League: twice with Hull City and once with Aston Villa. On the international stage, he was a key member of the Egyptian national team that secured back-to-back Africa Cup of Nations titles in 2008 and 2010. Following his playing career, Elmohamady transitioned into a commercial and ambassadorial role with Aston Villa.
2. Early Life and Youth Career
Ahmed Elmohamady was born in Basyoun, within the Gharbia Governorate of Egypt, on September 9, 1987. His football journey began at the youth academy of Ghazl El Mahalla SC in 2003. Displaying early promise, he was integrated into Ghazl El Mahalla's first team in 2004 at the young age of 17. During his time in youth football and early senior appearances, he initially played as a striker.
3. Club Career
Elmohamady's professional club career saw him progress through several teams, starting in Egypt before making a significant move to English football, where he spent the majority of his career.
3.1. ENPPI
After two years with Ghazl El Mahalla, Elmohamady joined ENPPI in 2006. While he had started as a striker, upon joining ENPPI, he transitioned to playing as a right-sided defender. His performances quickly caught the attention of several European clubs, but ENPPI was initially reluctant to facilitate his transfer. In the summer of 2007, ENPPI rejected an offer from German club Hertha BSC due to unmet financial demands. Elmohamady himself also declined a bid from Romanian club Rapid București in the same year. Interest from England also emerged, with Blackburn Rovers inviting him for a five-day trial in November 2008 at the request of manager Paul Ince. Although discussions continued into January 2009 under new manager Sam Allardyce, the deal ultimately fell through as Allardyce believed Elmohamady would not make an immediate impact.
3.2. Sunderland

Elmohamady continued to attract interest from English clubs, notably impressing Sunderland manager Steve Bruce during a trial in August 2009. However, an initial attempt by Sunderland to sign him on January 31, 2010, was unsuccessful, with his club ENPPI also considering an offer from Belgian side Club Brugge. Despite a larger offer from West Bromwich Albion, Elmohamady chose to join Sunderland due to his trial experience.
On July 1, 2010, Elmohamady officially joined Sunderland on a season-long loan from ENPPI for a fee of 500.00 K GBP. The agreement included an option for a permanent transfer valued at 2.00 M GBP the following summer. He made his debut for Sunderland on August 14, 2010, in a 2-2 draw against Birmingham City. Early in his tenure, his impressive performances, particularly against Arsenal and Manchester City, earned him Man of the Match accolades. Manager Steve Bruce expressed a desire to make his move permanent during the January transfer window.

Sunderland exercised their option, and on March 11, 2011, Elmohamady's transfer was made permanent for 2.00 M GBP. The deal was officially confirmed on June 9, 2011, with Elmohamady signing a contract keeping him at the Stadium of Light until 2014. Bruce praised Elmohamady's potential and anticipated further growth. In the 2011-12 season, Elmohamady started Sunderland's opening league match against Liverpool, assisting Sebastian Larsson's debut goal in a 1-1 draw. He scored his first goal for the club on October 1, 2011, with a header in a 2-2 draw against West Bromwich Albion. However, his playing time decreased significantly after Bruce's departure in December 2011, making no starts under new manager Martin O'Neill. He finished the 2011-12 season with 21 appearances across all competitions.
3.3. Hull City

On August 30, 2012, Elmohamady moved to Hull City, then in the Championship, on a season-long loan. This move reunited him with his former manager, Steve Bruce. He debuted for Hull City on September 1 in a home match against Bolton Wanderers. On September 18, 2012, he scored his first goal for the club against Leeds United at Elland Road in a 3-2 victory, also providing two assists in the derby match. On January 16, 2013, Sunderland briefly recalled him, but on January 31, 2013, he returned to Hull on loan for the remainder of the 2012-13 season. His contributions were recognized when he was voted Hull City's Player of the Year at the club's annual awards ceremony on April 20, 2013.
Following his successful loan spell, Elmohamady signed a three-year contract with Hull City on June 28, 2013, making his move permanent. He made his Premier League debut for the club on the opening day of the 2013-14 season in a 2-0 loss away to Chelsea. On September 21, 2013, he scored his first Premier League goal of the season against Newcastle United. He played in the FA Cup Final on May 17, 2014, where Hull City narrowly lost 3-2 to Arsenal. A notable incident occurred on January 10, 2015, in a match against West Bromwich Albion, where his inadvertent touch resulted in a backpass that led to a free kick, from which West Brom scored the only goal. On June 23, 2016, Elmohamady extended his contract with Hull City for another three years.
3.4. Aston Villa
On July 19, 2017, Elmohamady transferred to Aston Villa for an undisclosed fee, once again reuniting him with Steve Bruce. He made his Aston Villa debut on the opening day of the 2017-18 season in a 1-1 home draw against his former club, Hull City. He scored his first goal for Aston Villa on August 6, 2018, in the first game of the subsequent season, also against Hull City.
On May 29, 2019, Elmohamady played a crucial role in Aston Villa's 2-1 victory over Derby County in the 2019 EFL Championship play-off final, providing the assist for Anwar El Ghazi's opening goal, which secured Villa's promotion to the Premier League. He scored his first Premier League goal since the 2014-15 season on June 24, 2020, netting a late equalizer away at Newcastle United. On May 28, 2021, it was announced that Elmohamady would depart Aston Villa at the conclusion of his contract.
4. International Career
Elmohamady represented Egypt at both youth and senior levels, earning a distinguished international career. He featured for the Egypt U21 squad and participated in the 2007 African Youth Championship held in the Republic of the Congo. During this tournament, he was recognized as a rising star for the Egyptian team, despite playing out of his natural position as a forward.
He made his senior international debut for Egypt in August 2007 at the age of 19, in a friendly match against Ivory Coast held in Paris. His consistent performances led to his inclusion in Egypt's squad for the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana, where Egypt ultimately won the competition, with Elmohamady making appearances as a substitute. Following this success, he established himself as a regular starter, primarily as a right-back or winger. He played in all six of Egypt's matches during the second round of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.
In the 2009 Confederations Cup, Elmohamady was involved in a notable incident during Egypt's opening match against Brazil. In the final minute of the game, he was sent off for deliberately handling Lúcio's goal-bound shot, resulting in a penalty for Brazil, which they converted to win the match 4-3. He was also part of the Egyptian squads that won the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations and were runners-up in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. Elmohamady was included in the Egyptian squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
5. Post-playing Career
After retiring from professional football, Ahmed Elmohamady returned to his former club, Aston Villa, initially taking on a role as a club ambassador during their pre-season tour of Australia in July 2022. In September 2023, his involvement with the club expanded as he was appointed to a full-time position within Aston Villa's commercial department, signifying his continued connection and contribution to the club off the pitch.
6. Personal Life
Ahmed Elmohamady is married to an Egyptian fashion designer, and together they have a son named Malik. During his time playing in England, particularly with Sunderland, fans affectionately nicknamed him "Elmo." He is a practicing Muslim.
7. Honours
Club
- Football League Championship runner-up: 2012-13
- FA Cup runner-up: 2013-14
- EFL Championship play-offs: 2016
- EFL Championship play-offs: 2019
- EFL Cup runner-up: 2019-20
International
- Africa Cup of Nations: 2008, 2010
- Africa Cup of Nations runner-up: 2017
Individual
- CAF Team of the Year: 2010
- Hull City Player of the Year: 2012-13
8. Career Statistics
This section provides a comprehensive overview of Ahmed Elmohamady's professional football statistics, detailing his appearances and goals for both club and international competitions.
8.1. Club Statistics
Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Ghazl El Mahalla | 2004-05 | Egyptian Premier League | 14 | 4 | ?? | ?? | - | - | - | 14 | 4 | |||
2005-06 | Egyptian Premier League | 3 | 0 | ?? | ?? | - | - | - | 3 | 0 | ||||
Total | 17 | 4 | ?? | ?? | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 4 | ||
ENPPI | 2006-07 | Egyptian Premier League | 12 | 2 | ?? | ?? | - | - | - | 12 | 2 | |||
2007-08 | Egyptian Premier League | 6 | 1 | ?? | ?? | - | - | - | 6 | 1 | ||||
2008-09 | Egyptian Premier League | 28 | 6 | ?? | ?? | - | - | - | 28 | 6 | ||||
2009-10 | Egyptian Premier League | 26 | 3 | ?? | ?? | - | - | - | 26 | 3 | ||||
Total | 72 | 12 | ?? | ?? | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 72 | 12 | ||
Sunderland | 2010-11 | Premier League | 36 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 38 | 0 | ||
2011-12 | Premier League | 18 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 21 | 1 | |||
2012-13 | Premier League | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 2 | 0 | |||
Total | 56 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 61 | 1 | ||
Hull City | 2012-13 | Championship | 41 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 41 | 3 | ||
2013-14 | Premier League | 38 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 45 | 2 | |||
2014-15 | Premier League | 38 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | - | 43 | 3 | ||
2015-16 | Championship | 41 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | - | 3 | 0 | 51 | 3 | ||
2016-17 | Premier League | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | - | - | 37 | 0 | |||
Total | 191 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 217 | 11 | ||
Aston Villa | 2017-18 | Championship | 43 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 2 | 0 | 45 | 0 | |
2018-19 | Championship | 38 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 3 | 0 | 42 | 2 | ||
2019-20 | Premier League | 18 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | - | - | 25 | 2 | |||
2020-21 | Premier League | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | - | 17 | 0 | |||
Total | 113 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 129 | 4 | ||
Career total | 449 | 30 | 14 | 0 | 21 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 496 | 32 |
8.2. International Statistics
National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
Egypt | 2007 | 5 | 0 |
2008 | 14 | 0 | |
2009 | 12 | 0 | |
2010 | 12 | 1 | |
2011 | 3 | 0 | |
2012 | 13 | 1 | |
2013 | 6 | 0 | |
2014 | 5 | 0 | |
2015 | 1 | 0 | |
2016 | 1 | 0 | |
2017 | 8 | 0 | |
2018 | 7 | 1 | |
2019 | 5 | 3 | |
Total | 92 | 6 |
8.3. International Goals
Egypt score listed first, score column indicates score after each Elmohamady goal.
No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 20 January 2010 | Ombaka National Stadium, Benguela, Angola | 35 | Benin | 1-0 | 2-0 | 2010 Africa Cup of Nations |
2 | 20 May 2012 | Al-Merrikh Stadium, Omdurman, Sudan | 52 | Cameroon | 1-0 | 2-1 | Friendly |
3 | 12 October 2018 | Al Salam Stadium, Cairo, Egypt | 85 | eSwatini | 1-0 | 4-1 | 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
4 | 13 June 2019 | Borg El Arab Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt | 88 | Tanzania | 1-0 | 1-0 | Friendly |
5 | 26 June 2019 | Cairo International Stadium, Cairo, Egypt | 90 | DR Congo | 1-0 | 2-0 | 2019 Africa Cup of Nations |
6 | 30 June 2019 | Cairo International Stadium, Cairo, Egypt | 91 | Uganda | 2-0 | 2-0 | 2019 Africa Cup of Nations |