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Ramadan Sobhi has sky-high ambitions as Egyptian footballers reach new heights in England

Little more than a decade ago, an Egyptian move to the English Premier League would send shockwaves and raise eyebrows. But now, playing in the elite competition is not an achievement in itself.

This notion illustrates how far ambitious Egyptian footballers have developed over the years, with Ramadan Sobhi becoming the latest from the football-mad country to move to the Premier League, having completed a transfer to Stoke City.

The move is still celebrated in Egypt but Sobhi has his eyes set on making a notable impact and following in the footsteps of Mohamed Salah and Mohamed Elneny, who both raised the bar for their peers and countrymen to end a period of mere Egyptian daydreaming.

Former Chelsea winger Salah and Arsenal midfielder Elneny formed the fourth stage of this transition, demonstrating that Egyptian players have what it takes to play for high-profile outfits and prove their worth.

First stage: exploring the Premier League

Former Ahly and Zamalek defender Ibrahim Saied, now 36, was a highly-rated promising lad when he made the first shock move to the Premier League, joining Everton on a short-term loan deal in 2003.

Back at the time, the ultimate target of most of the up-and-coming players was to seal a move to Ahly or bitter Cairo rivals Zamalek but Saied seemed to have taken a step too far.

Success was far-fetched, despite Saied’s unquestionable talent, and he could not play a single first-team match with the Toffees.

It was just a chance to explore life in the Premier League.

Second stage: More chances marred by disciplinary problems

A sort of an exodus by Egyptian standards followed a few years later, with Mido, Amr Zaki, Hossam Ghaly and Mohamed Shawky all moving to the Premier League to play the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Middlesbrough and Wigan Athletic.

Unlike Saied’s brief tenure, they managed to easily break into the first teams but most of them paid the price of lack of discipline despite initially winning over the fans with some solid and convincing displays.

Central midfielder Ghaly was starting to become a fan favourite at White Hart Lane but he dug his own grave when he threw the Tottenham shirt to the ground after being substituted in a Premier League match against Blackburn Rovers in May 2007, enraging the Spurs faithful who persistently rebuffed his apologies.

Towering striker Mido also impressed during a loan spell with Tottenham Hotspur in 2005-06 but when the move was made permanent a year later he failed to maintain his success and had later suffered from weight and occasional disciplinary problems with Middlesbrough, Wigan Athletic and West Ham.

Fellow frontman Zaki made an explosive start with Wigan during a loan spell in 2008, scoring 10 goals in the first half of the season. However, his failure to return from international duty in time more than once eventually sealed his fate.

Midfielder Mohamed Shawky was the only one not to suffer from disciplinary problems but his footballing attributes did not allow him to remain at Middlesbrough for long.

Third stage: professionalism brings stability

Then came Ahmed Elmohamady, a calm-mannered right wing-back whose professionalism plus some fine displays down the flank were enough to keep him in English football for six years and counting.

The 28-year-old, often praised for his consistency, impressed during a loan spell with Sunderland in 2010, prompting the club to hand him a permanent contract.

He joined Hull City in 2012 and has since been mainly a regular starter for the team, experiencing Championship and Premier League football with the Tigers to wash away recent memories of Egyptian stints interrupted with off-field problems.

Fourth stage: Time for big clubs

Egyptians then made further inroads into the Premier League, with Mohamed Salah marking the most high-profile move in the country’s footballing history after joining Chelsea in January 2014.

Although his one-year stint with Chelsea was hardly a great success, it wasn’t that disastrous either and it clearly paved the way for another big move when little-known Mohamed Elneny left Basel to join Arsenal last January.

Elneny quickly caught the eyes of Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger and the club’s faithful, making 16 appearances in all competitions in the second half of the season and scoring a remarkable goal in a UEFA Champions League last-16 clash against Barcelona.

Sobhi can now get the most of the good impression Elneny had last term as he embarks on a European adventure in the most watched league competition.

“This is my opportunity to show my talents abroad and to move to bigger European clubs so I will work hard to deliver my best performance and prove my worth,” the 19-year-old said before flying to the UK to undergo a medical and complete a dream move.