Ollie Watkins described his first appearance for Al Hilal as “amazing” after making an immediate impact in a 3-0 victory over Al Ahli, and said the Roshn Saudi League is comparable in quality to the Premier League.
The England striker came on as a second-half substitute in the rearranged match from the competition’s third round, played on Tuesday at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh. He then scored Al Hilal’s third goal to mark his debut in memorable fashion.
Watkins, who joined Al Hilal from Aston Villa, said he was delighted with how his first game unfolded and was looking forward to playing more matches in front of the club’s supporters.
“I’m happy to be here. It was a great start, and I’m looking forward to playing more matches here at our home stadium,” Watkins said in comments reported by Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat.
The 30-year-old also praised the standard and physical intensity of the match, insisting the quality he experienced was on a par with England’s top flight.
“The start was very good. The level I saw here today was honestly Premier League quality,” he said. “The match was very strong physically and demanding, and the quality was extremely high.”
Watkins said he had not expected such a welcome from the Al Hilal supporters before the match, particularly when he first entered the pitch to inspect it.
“It was an amazing start. I did not expect it to be like this,” he added. “When I went on to the pitch for the first time to look around before the match, the atmosphere was fantastic. The fans were chanting my name. It was an amazing start.”
His first appearance came after his move from Aston Villa, with the forward introduced during the second half of Al Hilal’s emphatic win. He completed the occasion by finding the net for the first time for his new club, adding the final goal after Al Hilal had already established control of the match.
The result saw Al Hilal beat Al Ahli 3-0 in the postponed Roshn Saudi League fixture. The game was staged at Kingdom Arena in the Saudi capital and provided Watkins with his first experience of competitive football in the country.
The England international’s comments were released after the match alongside footage of his media interview. His praise for the league and the reception he received from Al Hilal fans followed a debut in which he was used from the bench before scoring for the Riyadh club.
Watkins’ arrival from Aston Villa has now been followed by a decisive first outing, while Al Hilal’s victory over Al Ahli gave the new striker an immediate opportunity to celebrate with his team-mates and supporters.
