RIYADH — Following successful stints with Dutch giants PSV, Turkish heavyweights Galatasaray as well as English and Spanish sides, Nordin Amrabat arrived in Saudi Arabia and signed for Al Nasr where he would go on to win the coveted Saudi Professional League (SPL) title in his first season with the capital club.

The Morocco international chipped in with five goals and 10 assists to help The Global overcome arch-rivals Al Hilal by a single point and win their ninth league title in total and the first since 2015.

Now in his second season with the club, Amrabat’s goal has not changed as he continues to target silverware with Al Nasr. “We want to be champions, that’s the only goal we have and what we want.”

With SPL expanding over the past few years more than ever, scores of high-level footballers from across the world have been joining the region’s most competitive league as the championship goes through a transformational phase with the aim of turning global.

Amrabat arrived in SPL after spending a season at La Liga side Leganes on loan from parent club Watford, and it was Saudi fans that impressed him the most since making the switch.

“The fans’ support is fantastic and unbelievable. We sometimes fly to other cities and the fans are already waiting for us at the airport and hotel. Sometimes in away games, there are more Al Nasr fans than the home team,” Amrabat said.

“I think the SPL is one of the biggest leagues in Asia because of the fans. The Saudi fans love football and they always come to the stadium. Another reason is that clubs can now have seven foreign players [in their squad],” he added.

Key to Amrabat’s smooth adjustment to life in the SPL were the proximity of culture and traditions between Morocco and Saudi Arabia, and the presence of other Moroccan players in the league.

“We [Moroccans] adapt fast here [in Saudi Arabia],” said Amrabat. “The Moroccans are doing well here, and we love the country. It’s good to be here because the Saudis respect us, and we respect them back,” said the 32-year-old winger.

Having represented top European sides, some of Amrabat’s best moments on the pitch were in the colors of these clubs, but a certain occasion comes to his mind from his time with Galatasaray where he played from 2012 to 2015. “I think the 2013 Champions League quarterfinal 3-1 win with Galatasaray against Real Madrid was one of the best wins in my life.”

Throughout an illustrious career, Amrabat has featured in some of the world’s biggest derbies, including Galatasaray’s ever-heated clashes with Fenerbahce and Besiktas, and PSV’s showdowns against arch-rivals Ajax, and he believes Al Nasr’s duels with city rivals Al Hilal are up there among the fiercest.

“You can compare the Riyadh derby with Galatasaray vs Fenerbahce, where the whole city and country talk about the game. You feel the atmosphere and that it’s a very important game. But the fans are more positive here, they always want to win but they do it in a respectful way. I prefer this, it’s a more family-friendly atmosphere,” said the Moroccan international.

Amrabat’s early career took a major blow when he was released by Ajax aged just 13. He had to clean floors and wash dishes while playing amateur league football, and was planning for his life away from professional football until he was discovered and signed by second-tier side Omniworld (now Almere City FC) to kickstart his football career.

Growing up in Netherlands and having represented Ajax, Amrabat’s childhood idol was former Ajax, Arsenal and Barcelona winger Marc Overmars. “As I was born in Netherlands and played with Ajax as a youth player, coaches always told me to watch Marc Overmars. He was a fantastic player. I like him a lot and I used to watch him while he was at Arsenal.”

Like his idol, Amrabat continues to do his magic down the wing, scoring twice and assisting seven times so far this season. Defending champions Al Nasr are currently second in the league, three points only behind city rivals Al Hilal as the SPL season promises another nerve-wrecking end to a season that shall go down to the last kick. — SG