Ivan Toney Gives Honest Verdict on Standard of Saudi Football

Ivan Toney has given his thoughts on the standard of the Saudi Pro League and where his club Al Ahli would finish if they played in the Premier League.

Toney, 29, swapped England for Saudi Arabia last year, joining Al Ahli in a £40m move from Brentford after working his way up the English football pyramid.

The England international quickly settled in the Gulf state and has since scored 35 goals in just 48 games.

His contribution helped Al Ahli win the AFC Champions League Elite, Asia's equivalent of the UEFA Champions League, for the first time last season.

He has since added the Saudi Super Cup to his trophy cabinet, with Al Ahli beating Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr on penalties in the final in August.

Ronaldo has repeatedly defended the standard of football in Saudi Arabia, claiming it is superior to several other high-profile leagues including the MLS and Ligue 1.

Toney has now echoed Ronaldo's comments, claiming his side would challenge for the top four if they competed in the Premier League.

"Ronaldo has been around the world and probably knows a lot more than me as I have only played in the Premier League, the Championship and Leagues One and Two," Toney told The Guardian.

"For me, [the Pro League] is on a par with the Premier League. If [Al Ahli] were in the Premier League, we’d give it a good go and we'd be close to the top four.

Toney is thriving in Saudi Arabia (Image: Getty)

"It is a quality league and people should not turn their noses up. We saw Al Hilal play against Man City and beat them."

Saudi Pro League champions Al Hilal defeated City 4-3 in the FIFA Club World Cup this summer.

The Saudi club were later knocked out by eventual champions Chelsea, who beat PSG 3-0 in the final in New Jersey.

"I was going to tweet but I would have got killed back home, so I kept my mouth shut," Toney said, referring to City's defeat to Al Hilal.

"But people saw the quality of Hilal. The standard in Saudi Arabia is high. They can play football here. The players here are not as known as in the Premier League but there are many who can play there."

Where does the Saudi Pro League rank?

Opta recently ranked the top 30 leagues in world football by the standard of teams across their competition, placing the Saudi Pro League 29th.

The Premier League was ranked the strongest league in the world, followed by Italy's Serie A, Spain's La Liga and Germany's Bundesliga.

However, Toney believes the Saudi Pro League is tougher than most would expect, partly because of the soaring temperatures in the Gulf state.

He's hoping for an England recall (Image: Getty)

"Somebody should go and try to play in a sauna and see if they can cope," he added.

"You have to play a different game with different tactics and it is something you adapt to. There are different blocks of 20 minutes where it is intense and then naturally it has to slow down and pick up again."

Ivan Toney targeting England recall

Despite his impressive form, Toney was left out of Thomas Tuchel's England squad for recent World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia.

But he hasn't given up hope of making next summer's tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

"I have to concentrate on myself and give myself the best chance possible, and who knows? If I am selected, I will do my best for my country but if not, I'll be cheering the boys on."

"There have not been discussions with Thomas Tuchel," he added. "I don't expect to have a conversation with him.

"I am sure he has other things to be concentrating on. My job is to do well. It is what it is.

"If you are good enough, you are good enough; it doesn't matter where you are playing in the world.

"As long as you are doing the right things and scoring goals, then you give yourself a chance."