Ivan Toney: ‘if Al-ahli Were In The Premier League, We’d Be Close To The Top Four’

Ivan Toney is alert of nan extracurricular noise. He hardly needs reminding that plentifulness of group person had their opportunity since he swapped nan Premier League for nan Saudi Pro League conscionable complete a twelvemonth ago. An Asian Champions League winner’s badge and 35 goals for Al-Ahli later, nan striker is defiant, moreover if he recovered himself connected nan extracurricular arsenic England played their latest World Cup qualifiers.

“Those that cognize me, cognize that I do what I want to do,” Toney says. “If location is thing that I want to spell for, to try, past I will do it. If group want to talk, they tin talk. It doesn’t wounded me, doesn’t fuss me, I conscionable ore connected myself. I do what makes maine happy.”

Toney is talking from Jeddah, wherever nan somesthesia is forecast to beryllium supra 40C this weekend. He says he enjoys nan beaches and restaurants of a metropolis he describes arsenic “more chill” than Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh. He did, though, request clip to settee by nan Red Sea aft his move from Brentford.

“The upwind played a monolithic part,” he says. “Somebody should spell and effort to play successful a sauna and spot if they tin cope. You person to play a different crippled pinch different strategies and it is thing you accommodate to. There are different blocks of 20 minutes wherever it is aggravated and past people it has to slow down and prime up again.”

Ivan Toney scored 23 convention goals successful 30 games for Al-Ahli past season. Photograph: Reuters

Starting life astatine Al-Ahli alongside Roberto Firmino, who near this summer, and Riyad Mahrez helped, and Toney vanished past play pinch 23 convention goals, 2 less than Cristiano Ronaldo and 2 much than Karim Benzema and Morocco world Abderrazak Hamdallah, who shared 3rd spot successful nan scoring charts.

“Once I sewage going, nan goals came,” he says. “I felt for illustration I could person scored a batch more, but moreover truthful I vanished arsenic nan second-top scorer successful nan convention successful my first play location that is wholly caller to me. I consciousness for illustration it is an achievement. This season, I americium hoping to return first spot and hopefully that will thief nan squad and triumph games and get wherever we request to be.”

For Al-Ahli, that is simply a first title since 2016. Fifth past time, they started this run pinch a 1-0 triumph complete Neom, Toney moving connected to a through-ball from Enzo Millot to slot location beautifully. A hat-trick followed 3 days later against Al-Arabi successful nan King’s Cup. “We person much than capable value to beryllium winning games and if we proceed to play good past we person a bully chance. We showed that successful nan [Asian] Champions League.”

If 5th was a small disappointing for Al-Ahli, winning nan Asian Champions League successful May much than made up for it, nan squad beating Kawasaki Frontale successful nan last successful beforehand of much than 60,000 fans successful Jeddah. “In nan semi-finals, especially, nan ambiance against Al-Hilal was top,” Toney says. “It shows really passionate nan fans are here.”

Outside Jeddah and Riyadh, though, crowds thin to beryllium low. That is cited to cull claims that Saudi Arabia has a world-class league. “It’s different, but you are location for 1 thing: to get 3 points and return them home,” Toney says. “The occurrence is wrong yourself and nan changing room. It doesn’t matter if location are 10 group watching, 10,000 aliases 20,000. It’s connected nan players to spell and win.”

Toney echoes Ronaldo successful arguing that nan convention is up location pinch nan best. “Ronaldo has been astir nan world and astir apt knows a batch much than maine arsenic I person only played successful nan Premier League, nan Championship and Leagues One and Two. For me, [the Pro League] is connected a par pinch nan Premier League. If [Al-Ahli] were successful nan Premier League, we’d springiness it a bully spell and we’d beryllium adjacent to nan apical four. It is simply a value convention and group should not move their noses up. We saw Al-Hilal play against Man City and hit them.”

Ivan Toney aft winning nan Saudi Super Cup against Al-Nassr astatine Hong Kong Stadium. Photograph: Clicks Images/Getty Images

Al-Hilal’s 4-3 triumph complete City astatine nan Club World Cup this summertime went down good successful Saudi Arabia, particularly among overseas players. “I was going to tweet but I would person sewage killed backmost home, truthful I kept my rima shut,” Toney says. “But group saw nan value of Hilal. The modular successful Saudi Arabia is high. They tin play shot here. The players present are not arsenic known arsenic successful nan Premier League but location are galore who tin play there.”

Not that Toney’s move appears to person helped his England prospects. He won 5 of his first six caps from March to June 2024, including astatine nan Euros, but has added conscionable 1 since his transfer. Recalled past May, he did not make nan trim for nan World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia. Next year’s World Cup remains a target.

“I person to ore connected myself and springiness myself nan champion chance possible, and who knows? If I americium selected, I will do my champion for my state but if not, I’ll beryllium cheering nan boys on.”

There person not been discussions pinch Thomas Tuchel, he says. “I don’t expect to person a speech pinch him. I americium judge he has different things to beryllium concentrating on. My occupation is to do well. It is what it is. If you are bully enough, you are bully enough; it doesn’t matter wherever you are playing successful nan world. As agelong arsenic you are doing nan correct things and scoring goals, past you springiness yourself a chance.”

The 29-year-old says he does not miss nan Premier League but keeps an oculus connected Brentford. Although his erstwhile nine person mislaid Thomas Frank – “one of nan champion coaches I person worked with” – Toney thinks they will beryllium fine. “They’ve ever had that hard-work mentality,” he says. “They person ne'er had large names and each subordinate who comes successful useful difficult for each other. I judge they’ll beryllium bully this season.”

If not, possibly location will beryllium opportunities for immoderate players successful Saudi Arabia. “People are intrigued,” Toney says. “Some players person been offered a chance to play complete present and want to cognize what it is about. I would urge it, if they consciousness it is correct for them.”