ESSAM EL HADARY

This is a message to all footballers and others around the world that you should believe in your dreams and fight to make them come true.

I have dealt with three generations of players, each one of them was different.

I train hard every day, I don't know what the word 'impossible' means.

Beating a record for the oldest World Cup player means that it's an achievement for my country before it's an achievement for me.

The country comes first, then the record book.

I'm proud of my long career but playing in the World Cup is something special for any player. There is no limit to my ambition and I have always been determined to achieve that objective.

My father who passed away told me that his dream is to watch me playing at a World Cup and I want to make my dad proud.

Obviously, any player wants to set a record.

I train hard, every day, not because it's my job but because I love football.

I won't let anything stop me.

I appreciate Merriekh and their chairman Gamal El-Wali. I respect their supporters, players and technical staff.

We all have a loyalty to our country, we want to serve our country. It's in our nature.

Sometimes the media highlight a record for me that I did not know anything about but setting a record at a prestigious tournament like the World Cup makes me happy.

When I'm sitting on the bench, I try to help the players who are out on the pitch.

Rooney is one of the best forwards in the world, if not the best.

As the captain of the team, my job involves more than just playing. I have to talk to the players and motivate them.

I'm very happy to play at the World Cup, and that is a message to all footballers and others around the world, that you should believe in your dreams and fight to make them come true.

The player who is almost at the same age as my daughter... I treat all my team-mates as brothers and I treat him just like a team-mate. I embrace them all and I am always around them giving advice because this is part of my job as a team captain and friend. I don't make them feel the gap in the age because I believe this should be normal.

We know football is a difficult game. Sometimes you win and lose.

I work out in the morning before I join group training sessions with the team.

I won 37 trophies and I enjoyed some remarkable moments, such as our win over Italy at the 2009 Confederations Cup.

I did almost everything in my footballing career.

By working hard, age is just a number.

I'm always focused on constantly developing.

Setting targets is very important in my life; I always have targets to fulfil.