The Becks of Egypt out to gain his Spurs

"He is genuinely loved by the public and you will see him out at all the top parties," he said. "But he has the ability to keep his feet on the ground. When he comes home, he is still goofing-around with friends, sliding down the banisters and driving his Ferrari mindlessly around the city - parking it carelessly, randomly, on side streets to join in Egypt's most popular pastime, street football."

Mido's European career began in Belgium when he was quickly spotted on the showbusiness scene and dated Miss Belgium 2000, model Joke van der Velde.

But his heart remained in Egypt: a month after dumping the beauty queen he announced his engagement to a girl next door back home in Cairo. His wedding to business student Yosra Wael in July 2002 drew some of the biggest ratings in Egyptian TV history.

There are at least 40 Egyptian websites dedicated to him, with photos of his career, wedding and personal appearances. His own site is one of the most popular, receiving hundreds of hits a week.

As a child he would play truant to join in street football games, and admits he once bribed a postman not to deliver letters from school to his middle-class parents so he wouldn't get found out. His love of the game was quickly noticed and nurtured by his father, Wasfy, who ran a travel agency. Wasfy had himself been a professional footballer but his playing career was cut short when he was injured in 1967 while in the army.

Mido was signed to the Egyptian team, Zamalek, but his career took off when he moved to Belgium aged 16. He has, however, been dogged by controversy. Periodically dropped from the national squad for failing to turn up for international duty, he left Ajax under a cloud and fell out of favour at AS Roma. Now, perhaps, a more settled life beckons.

Mido became a father for the first time last month when his son, Ali, was born. "I have changed tremendously, both as a player and a person," he said. "The Mido of the past lived just for the moment. But the Mido of today is looking ahead and thinking of the future.

"I was 16 when I left Egypt for Europe. My family supported me but I was left alone and that's when you make mistakes, as you don't have the experience of an older player."