West Brom blog: Hailing Ahmed Hegazi
The ‘Nesta of the Pyramids’, Ahmed Hegazi, has been impressive with his performances in the heart of defence and has become a fans’ favourite at the Hawthorns.
He’s not the quickest or most agile. But he’s a warrior on the pitch and plays with such tremendous spirit and drive – something which has been very noticeable in a team lacking both of those things, writes Baggies blogger Nathan Carr.
I’ve been impressed with how well he reads the game, as well as his ability to bring the ball out from the back.
There was a lovely example of this away at Chelsea when he tricked his way past two or three players and fed the ball to Jay Rodriguez, who played the ball back where it came from.
The fact that he’s played in 32 games – only missing the Carabao Cup fixture against Manchester City – emphasises just how important he’s been.
Only twice has he not completed 90 minutes; coming off away at Brighton and replacing Kieran Gibbs at Anfield in the FA Cup.
He’s officially been named Man of the Match on four occasions and could quite easily have won the award more times than that.
I was very pleased when he signed on a permanent basis in December, particularly with reports of some bigger clubs sniffing around him.
The 27-year-old does have improvements to make to his game such as his positioning and concentration levels.
But in what has been a rather miserable and unforgettable season all in all, the Egyptian has definitely been a bright spark.
