Cristiano Ronaldo has admitted he initially struggled to cope with the intense heat and different training schedules in Saudi Arabia after leaving European football for the first time.
Ronaldo, 38, left Manchester United to sign for Al-Nassr in December, a move which sees him pocket an eye-watering £173million per year. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has conquered Europe's three best divisions - the Premier League, LaLiga and Serie A - throughout his incredible career but admits that the Saudi Pro League, not even the highest-ranked division in Asia according to FIFA's coefficient, presents different challenges.
"The biggest difference I have found in Saudi is obviously the heat and adapting schedules to train later in the day when it is cooler," Ronaldo told LiveScore. "But I have really gotten used to that now. The fans here have been incredible to me, welcoming me, and those that follow me to continue on this amazing journey."
The Portuguese striker's comments come during a defining period for Saudi Arabian football, as club chiefs are working tirelessly to bring in a slew of big-name players in order to boost the league's status. Reigning Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema recently quit Real Madrid to join champions Al-Ittihad, with Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante is set to join him at the club in another lucrative deal.
Chelsea team-mate Romelu Lukaku has also been talks with Al-Hilal, while Steven Gerrard is poised to become Al-Ettifaq's new boss. While it might be easy to get used the money, Ronaldo has warned his fellow superstars that the scorching temperatures aren't so cushy.
The 38-year-old recently confirmed that he'll be staying in Saudi for amid reports that he was eyeing a return to his home continent. "I am happy here, I want to continue here, I will continue here," Ronaldo declared, speaking to SPL. "In my opinion if they continue to do the work that they want to do here, for the next five years, I think the Saudi league can be a top five league in the world.
"I will be part of your world, your culture, I will be here, I hope I make the people enjoy through my games, my performance, and to win things, but again, thank you for welcoming me, and I will try to give my best during the time that I will be here."
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The Portugal captain's confidence that the Saudi Pro League can become a global force is nothing new, having backed the division ever since leaving United for Al-Nassr before finishing second in a thrilling title race last season, all while attracting millions of new viewers.
"It hasn't surprised me but it makes me really happy to see people all across the world now watching the Saudi Pro League," the ex-Real Madrid and Juventus superstar added to LiveScore. "I believe the league will continue to develop and many more players from European leagues will come here to play."
