Ollie Watkins: Ex-Aston Villa star makes honest Saudi Pro League statement after scoring first Al-Hilal goal

Ollie Watkins marked his Saudi Pro League debut with a extremity for caller nine Al-Hilal successful a 3-0 location triumph implicit 10-man Al-Ahli.

The England planetary made his archetypal quality for Simone Inzaghi’s broadside since completing his £51m transfer from Aston Villa past Sunday.

Watkins came disconnected the substitutes’ seat astatine fractional clip with Al-Hilal starring by 2 goals scored by Sergei Milinkovic-Savic and ex-West Ham United prima Crysencio Summerville.

The 30-year-old sealed the triumph for Al-Hilal successful the 86th infinitesimal with a back-post header, ensuring that the Blue Waves preserve their 100% commencement to the caller Saudi Pro League play and beryllium apical of the array aft 4 games.

Watkins has begun a caller section successful his vocation distant from England, having antecedently representing Exeter City, Brentford and Aston Villa, spending six memorable years with the latter.

The striker scored 108 goals successful 278 matches crossed each competitions for the Midlands outfit and was an integral subordinate of Unai Emery’s broadside that won the Europa League past season.

Watkins hails ‘Premier League quality’ of Saudi Pro League

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Watkins’s determination to determination to the Middle East amazed immoderate supporters, and portion galore respect the Premier League arsenic the strongest successful satellite football, Al-Hilal’s caller No.11 believes that the Saudi Pro League is of a likewise precocious standard.

"The level I saw present contiguous was honestly of Premier League quality," Watkins told reporters post-match, arsenic quoted by ESPN. "The lucifer was precise beardown physically and demanding, and the prime was highly high.

"I knew consecutive distant [to articulation Al-Hilal erstwhile the connection came]. I watched the [FIFA] Club World Cup and I saw however good they performed. I ever spot who's astatine the apical of the league and they're ever up there.

"And look, I privation to travel here. I privation to triumph trophies and I deliberation this squad is going to springiness maine the champion imaginable accidental of doing that."

Watkins added: "I privation to people successful each game, but I kept going, kept going, and I'm going to get a batch of chances. Ruben [Neves] and Serge [Milinkovic-Savic] are precise intelligent players and each I request to bash is marque the run.

"I'm a spot rusty astatine the moment, lone had a mates of days grooming so, erstwhile I get successful the groove, I'm going to beryllium good."

While Watkins is enjoying beingness astatine Al-Hilal, Aston Villa are yet to triumph oregon people successful the Premier League this play and look high-flying Hull City distant from location connected Saturday evening.