Former Wycombe Wanderers captain Adam El-Abd has confirmed he has retired from professional football.

The 37-year-old, who turns 38 in just over a fortnight’s time, revealed the news on August 25 in a six-minute video that was published on the official Worthing YouTube channel.

He had only signed for the Non League club this June, but after two months which involved ‘a lot of soul searching’, he announced that it was ‘time’ to draw the curtain on his 19-year-old senior career.

The Egyptian international said: “After a lot of thought and soul searching, I think it’s time to hang up my boots.

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“It wasn’t a decision I made lightly as I love the game so much, but in hindsight, I should have retired three years ago when I left Stevenage [at the end of the 2019/20 season] because the body wasn’t the same, and I wasn’t able to do the things that I once was able to do.

“But I love the game, hence why I didn’t want to give up.”

Former Wycombe Wanderers captain Adam El-Abd (pictured scoring against Grimsby in 2018) played 82 times for the Chairboys (Anita Ross Marshall)

Former Wycombe Wanderers captain Adam El-Abd (pictured scoring against Grimsby in 2018) played 82 times for the Chairboys (Anita Ross Marshall)

El-Abd also revealed in the clip that when he was facing the end of his career, his ‘priorities needed to change’, as he now wants to devote his time to bringing up his son.

After signing for Worthing this summer, who play in the National League South, he was included in the first matchday squad of the season against Dover Athletic which ended 1-1.

However, after his family saw him be an unused sub in the draw, he was not included in the squad in their next three games.

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The centre back continued: “He [my son] was there for the first game of the season and I was sitting on the bench four weeks off my 38th birthday and I was thinking, ‘I think I should be devoting my time to him now’.

“That was clear to me as I have had a good career.

“I have been lucky enough to have played [professional] football since I was 16 so I have had a good innings…I can’t complain.”

During his playing days, he spent just over two seasons with Wanderers between 2017 and 2019.

He joined Wycombe on a free transfer following his release from Shrewsbury Town in the summer of the year and was immediately made club captain.

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That year, El-Abd played 43 games in all competitions as the Chairboys secured promotion back to League One after six years away.

He would play a further 37 games the following season before having his contract terminated by mutual consent in September 2019.

That year, he featured in Wanderers’ opening two League One matches where he helped Wycombe keep two clean sheets.

These were against Bolton Wanderers and Bristol Rovers respectively.