In the summer of 2024, Ivan Toney joined the exodus of European stars heading to Saudi Arabia. The English striker signed for Al-Ahli SFC, who paid Brentford 42 million euros for his transfer, and now shares a dressing room with players like Riyad Mahrez and Franck Kessie. He is proud to do so, and in an interview with 'The Guardian' he acts as an ambassador, extolling the virtues of Saudi football.

Toney, who scored 30 goals for the Jeddah club last season, claimed that the Saudi championship has grown to a level where it can compete with English football: "Cristiano Ronaldo has been all over the world and probably knows more than me, who has only played in the Premier League, the Championship, League One and League Two. But for me, the Saudi League is on a par with the Premier League".

Moreover, he boasted about his team and said he could see them among the best in England: "If Al-Ahli SFC played in the Premier League, they would do very well and they would be close to the top four. This is a quality league and people shouldn't look down on us. We already saw Al-Hilal play against Manchester City and beat them".

The striker recalled that he was close to wading into the debate on his 'X' profile that day, although he restrained himself: "I was going to post a tweet, but I would have been slaughtered on social media, so I shut my mouth. But people saw the quality that Al-Hilal has".

"The standards in Saudi Arabia are high. They play good football here. There are players who are not as well known as those in the Premier League, but there are many who could play there", continued the former Brentford and Peterborough player, who encourages other footballers to play in the Middle Eastern country: "The players are interested in this. I know of some who have been made offers to play here and want to know what it's like. I would recommend it to everyone if it seems like a good option to them".

Ivan Toney played for England at Euro 2024 just before leaving for Al-Ahli SFC, although last June he was called up again by Thomas Tuchel. Therefore, the striker has not given up hope of being at the 2026 World Cup: "I have to concentrate and give everything to have the opportunity. Who knows? If they call me up, I will give everything for my country. And if not, I will cheer on the boys".

Ivan Toney

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