“I have 3 kids and a wife; taking care of them is my biggest trophy” - Ruben Neves makes honest admission on Saudi transfer

Ruben Neves has opened up on his move to the Saudi Pro League, explaining why he decided to join Saudi Pro League giants Al-Hilal during his prime playing years. The Portugal international said that he took the decision for his family's better future.

Neves took many by surprise when he decided to make a move to the Saudi Pro League from Wolverhampton Wanderers at the age of just 26. Considering that he's a top talent in the Premier League and was linked with a move to Barcelona, the decision came as a surprise.

Explaining his transfer, Neves said (h/t Zach Lowy) that taking care of his young family is his utmost priority:

“To give my family the life I always dreamed of for them, this was, for me, the main reason that made me have no doubts about accepting this proposal. I have three children and a wife. Taking care of them is my biggest trophy."

After joining Wolves from Porto, Ruben Neves made 253 appearances across competitions for the Premier League club, bagging 30 goals and 13 assists. The player will now embark on a new journey in the Middle East.

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Ruben Neves' move to Saudi Pro League shows that Cristiano Ronaldo wasn't far off in his assessment

Cristiano Ronaldo recently said that the Saudi Pro League could become one of the top five leagues in the world when he joined Al-Nassr in December 2022. Many eyebrows were raised when the Portugal captain said that, though.

In a chat with the SPL's official media, Ronaldo said:

"I think the league is very good. But I think we have many many opportunities to still grow. I think the league is good; it's competitive; we have very good Arab players."

He added:

"The infrastructure, I think they need to improve. Even the referees, the VAR system, those should be a little bit quicker.

"Other small things they need to improve. In my opinion, if they continue to do it, the work, for the next five years, I think the Saudi League can be the fifth in the world."

Since Ronaldo's arrival late last year, though, several top players like Ruben Neves, Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kante, Kalidou Koulibaly, Eduardo Mendy, Roberto Firmino have joined the league. The likes of Hakim Ziyech and Bernardo Silva have been linked with moves as well, further boosting the SPL's profile.

The standard of the league is certainly on the rise and could reach a new level in a few years. Ruben Neves, meanwhile, will be direct rivals to his international captain Ronaldo, as Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr are city rivals.