Saudi Pro League ‘Is Premier League Quality’, Says Watkins
Ollie Watkins has described the Saudi Pro League as being of “Premier League quality” after marking his Al-Hilal debut with a goal in their 3-0 victory over Al-Ahli, ESPN reports on Wednesday.
“The level I saw here today was honestly of Premier League quality,” Watkins said after the match, according to ESPN.
“The match was very strong physically and demanding, and the quality was extremely high,” he added.
Watkins, who joined Al-Hilal from Aston Villa for £51m last week, said he had been convinced to move to Saudi Arabia after watching the club’s performance at the FIFA Club World Cup.
“I knew straight away to join Al Hilal when the offer came. I watched the FIFA Club World Cup and I saw how well they performed. I always see who’s at the top of the league and they’re always up there.
“And look, I want to come here. I want to win trophies and I think this team is going to give me the best possible chance of doing that,” he said.
The 30-year-old admitted he was still short of full match sharpness after having only trained with his new teammates for a few days.
“I want to score in every game.
“But I kept going, kept going, and I’m going to get a lot of chances. Ruben Neves and Serge Milinkovic-Savic are very intelligent players, and all I need to do is make the run.
“I’m a bit rusty at the moment, only had a couple of days training, so once I get in the groove, I’m going to be good,” Watkins said.
Watkins spent six seasons at Aston Villa after joining from Brentford in 2020, scoring 108 goals in 280 appearances before completing his move to Al-Hilal.
The victory was Al-Hilal’s fourth in as many Saudi Pro League matches this season, keeping Simone Inzaghi’s side at the top of the table.
