Ollie Watkins has claimed that the level of football in the Saudi Pro League is comparable to the Premier League after making a scoring debut for Al Hilal.
The England international came off the bench to score as Al Hilal defeated Al Ahli 3-0, with Watkins finding the net with a late back-post header.
Watkins, who joined Al Hilal from Aston Villa during the summer, said he was impressed by the standard of football after his first competitive appearance in Saudi Arabia.
“The level I saw here today was honestly of Premier League quality,” Watkins said.
“The match was very strong physically and demanding, and the quality was extremely high.”
The 30-year-old said his decision to move to Al Hilal was influenced by the club’s performance at the FIFA Club World Cup, where he saw the quality of the squad and their ability to compete against top opposition.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
Watkins admitted he is still working his way back to full sharpness after having only trained with his new teammates for a few days.
“I want to score in every game,” he said.
“But I kept going, kept going, and I’m going to get a lot of chances. Ruben [Neves] and Serge [Milinković-Savić] 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 also expressed frustration after being flagged offside shortly before eventually scoring his debut goal.
“That’s the objective. Obviously just before [my goal] I got called offside, which was disappointing,” he added.
Watkins left Aston Villa after six years at the club, having scored 108 goals in 278 appearances and played a key role in their Europa League triumph last season.
His departure was part of a major summer exodus at Villa, with Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, Ezri Konsa and Lucas Digne also leaving the club.
Villa, meanwhile, are yet to record a Premier League victory this season after losing 1-0 to Arsenal on Monday.
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