Moroccan star Hakim Ziyech has signed for Wydad Casablanca, returning to his roots.

Ziyech, 32, was born in the Netherlands but opted to represent the country of his parents, Morocco, on the international stage.

At the club level, he has never played in Morocco, and Wydad offers him the opportunity to play in the North African state, as well as on the continent, with the Red Castle campaigning in the CAF Confederation Cup this season.

Wydad President Hicham Aït Mena is delighted to have finalised the deal. “Hakim Ziyech has signed a contract with Wydad until 2027; we’ve got an option to extend his deal, of course, and the talks went really smoothly. He made it pretty clear he wanted to play in his country even though he had a few attractive offers on the table.”

Ziyech has had stints with Heerenveen, Ajax Amsterdam, Chelsea and Galatasaray, and he last played for Qatari club Al-Duhail.