Ivan Toney fires back: Saudi Pro League ‘on par’ with Premier League | OneFootball

Ivan Toney admits his move to Saudi Arabia has hurt his England prospects but insists he has no regrets about swapping the Premier League for Al-Ahli.

The striker has scored 35 goals since leaving Brentford last summer, helping his side win the Asian Champions League and the Saudi Super Cup.

However, he was overlooked for England’s recent World Cup qualifiers, despite being recalled earlier this year.

“I have to concentrate on myself, give myself the best chance possible, and who knows?” Toney said. “If I am selected, I will do my best for my country. But if not, I will be cheering the boys on.”

The 29-year-old has won only one cap since his move, after earning five in his breakthrough spell with England between March and June 2024.

He has not held talks with Gareth Southgate’s successor, Thomas Tuchel, but insists that his form should matter more than where he plays.

“I don’t expect to have a conversation with him,” Toney said. “If you are good enough, you are good enough – it does not matter where you are playing in the world.

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

Toney finished last season with 23 league goals, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo, and says the quality in Saudi Arabia is higher than many people think.

“The Saudi Pro League is on a par with the Premier League,” he said. “If Al-Ahli were in the Premier League, we would give it a good go and be close to the top four.

“It is a quality league and people should not turn their noses up.”

He pointed to Al-Hilal’s win over Manchester City at the Club World Cup as proof.

“I was going to tweet, but I would have got killed back home, so I kept my mouth shut,” he said. “But people saw the quality of Hilal.”

Toney’s decision has raised questions about whether moving away from Europe was the right step for his international career. He accepts it was a risk but remains defiant.

“Those people who know me know that I do what I want to do,” he said. “If people want to talk, they can talk. It does not bother me. I do what makes me happy.”