Ivan Toney has insisted he's not competing with Cristiano Ronaldo in the Saudi Pro League while addressing speculation over his England future.
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Toney plays down Ronaldo rivalryClaimed Saudi league is a 'tough' competitionHas scored four goals for Al-AhliFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The former Brentford star left the Premier League for the Saudi Pro League in the summer, joining Al-Ahli in a £34 million (€40m) deal. The 28-year-old forward has made a solid start to his new journey, scoring four goals in 10 appearances across all competitions.
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The English attacker is relishing his experience in the Middle East and sharing the limelight with world-class forwards like Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, however, he made it very clear that is not looking to compete with the Portuguese legend and will instead focus on his own progress.
WHAT IVAN TONEY SAID
Speaking to , Toney said: "I always set targets for myself and hopefully I can hit them. I know you're probably going to ask me what my target is but it doesn't come out. It only comes out when I hit it come the end of the season. So, hopefully I can keep playing well and score goals to help the team and help to win the games."
When asked about facing competition from Ronaldo, the striker added: "I don't watch what other people are doing. Obviously we know Ronaldo is a top player but I'll concentrate on myself and do what I can do best. It's all good coming up against these players, but we're not here to idolise them, we're here to beat them."
DID YOU KNOW?
At the time of Toney's transfer to Saudi Arabia, former Arsenal star Alan Smith had issued a warning that he might not get picked for the England national team after moving to an inferior league. Responding to the criticism, Toney said: "I'm only in control of what I can do on the pitch. If that's the case, that they see me coming here is damaging my chances, then I can't really change that. But, all I can do is focus on myself and play well, and who knows what can happen."