Ollie Watkins struck by Saudi intensity and Al Hilal fan welcome

Ollie Watkins has described the Roshn Saudi League as being of Premier League quality after making a memorable Al Hilal debut in a 3-0 win over Al Ahli.

The England striker came on as a second-half substitute in the postponed third-round fixture at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on Tuesday and scored his first goal for Al Hilal, completing the victory with the third goal of the match.

Watkins joined Al Hilal from Aston Villa and was making his first appearance for the Saudi club. He said he had been impressed by both the standard of the match and the reception from the home supporters.

“I’m happy to be here. It was a great start, and I’m looking forward to playing more games here at our home stadium,” Watkins told reporters after the match, according to Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat.

He added: “It was a very good start. The level I saw here today was honestly Premier League quality. The game was very physical and demanding, and the quality was extremely high.”

Watkins also said the atmosphere before kick-off had exceeded his expectations, particularly when Al Hilal supporters sang his name as he entered the pitch to inspect it.

“The start was amazing. I didn’t expect it to be like this,” he said. “When I came out on to the pitch for the first time to look around before the game, the atmosphere was great. The fans were chanting my name. It was an amazing start.”

The forward’s arrival at Al Hilal marks the beginning of a new spell outside English football after his move from Aston Villa. His first appearance was delayed until Tuesday’s fixture, but he made an immediate impact after being introduced during the second half.

Al Hilal’s victory came in the match that had been postponed from the third round of the Roshn Saudi League. The result saw the Riyadh club claim a convincing win against Al Ahli, with Watkins adding the final goal after entering the game from the bench.

His comments were made after a debut which combined a positive team result with a personal milestone. The England international said he was eager to experience more matches at Kingdom Arena following a first appearance that left a strong impression.

A clip of Watkins speaking to the media after the match was shared by Al Hilal, in which he repeated his delight at joining the club and called the beginning of his time in Saudi Arabia “a great start”.