Imitating Ronaldo, English striker says Saudi Pro League is on par with Premier League

Recently, English striker Ivan Toney declared that the Saudi Pro League is on the same level as the Premier League, despite the risk of facing a backlash from fans at home.

Ivan Toney believes that the Saudi Pro League is on the same level as the Premier League - Photo: REUTERS

Although Al-Ahli won the AFC Champions League this year, many people are still skeptical about the quality of the tournament.

In response, English striker Ivan Toney asserted: "Class is not only shown through the number of spectators. What matters is whether you have enough motivation to win or not."

Toney shares Ronaldo's view that the Saudi Pro League is on par with the Premier League.

"Ronaldo has travelled the world and he knows a lot more than I do," said Toney. "For me, the Saudi Pro League is not inferior to the Premier League. If Al-Ahli played there, we would be fighting for a top four spot.

People should not underestimate this tournament. We saw Al-Hilal beat Man City."

"Anyone who knows me knows I just do what I want. If I want to try something, I do it. I don't care what people say, it doesn't hurt me or bother me. I just focus on myself and do what makes me happy," the former Brentford striker shared.

After more than a year leaving the Premier League to move to Al-Ahli, Toney won the AFC Champions League and scored 35 goals.

However, Ivan Toney admits it took time to adapt to the harsh climate in Jeddah. Toney said the weather was a big challenge. "Someone should try playing football in a sauna and see if they can handle it. You have to change the way you play, the tactics are completely different, with 20 minutes of high intensity play and then having to slow down to recover."

The arrival of big stars like Riyad Mahrez helped Toney settle in quickly. In his first season, he scored 23 goals in the national championship, only 2 goals less than Cristiano Ronaldo and more than Karim Benzema.

"I could have scored more, but being the second top scorer in my first season in a completely new environment is an achievement. This season, I hope to be number one, help the team win and achieve the goal," Toney said proudly.

Additionally, Toney admitted he wanted to post on social media to celebrate Al-Hilal's 4-3 win over Man City, but refrained.

"I knew I would get a lot of flak back home if I did, so I kept my mouth shut. But people have seen the quality of Al-Hilal," Toney said.

TUAN LONG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/bat-chuoc-ronaldo-tien-dao-nguoi-anh-noi-saudi-pro-league-dang-cap-ngang-premier-league-2025091215304072.htm