Ollie Watkins, Al-Hilal's new striker, believes the gap between the Saudi league and its English counterpart is not significant.
Watkins played his first match in the Al-Hilal jersey and scored a goal in the Blue Waves' 3-0 victory over Al-Ahli Jeddah in a postponed match from the third round of the Saudi league.
Watkins said in remarks carried by the Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper: "I am very happy to be here. It has been a fantastic start, and I am eagerly looking forward to playing many upcoming matches at our stadium in front of our fans. It was an excellent and very good start for both me and the team."
He added, "The technical level here was excellent, and to be absolutely honest, it is equal to and on par with the level of the English league. The match was extremely physical and required a lot of effort on the pitch, and the quality of play and competition was at the highest level."
The former Aston Villa striker continued, "The atmosphere in the stadium was magnificent by all measures. I never expected it to be so fantastical when I entered to inspect the pitch before the match started."
He concluded, "The atmosphere was wonderful, and the noise from the stands was passionate. The fans were chanting my name loudly... Yes, it is truly a fantastic and exceptional start by all measures."
English international Ollie Watkins, who joined from Aston Villa, participated in the match and scored the third goal with a header in the 86th minute.
