Crysencio Summerville Makes Saudi Pro League Admission

Summerville was in line for a move away from the London Stadium following West Ham's relegation and opted to join Al Hilal amid interest from Roma and several Premier League clubs. He left England with more than 80 Premier League appearances to his name across spells with the Irons and the Whites contributing 18 goals and assists during his time in the division.

The 24-year-old has made a flying start with the Riyadh club, starting all seven of their league matches, scoring twice and providing three assists. That form has also earned him an international call-up for the Netherlands under new head coach Xavi Hernandez, with Summerville starting both of the Oranje's Nations League games so far.

Summerville reflected positively on his experience in the Middle East so far, saying he has enjoyed his time at Al Hilal and felt well looked after since arriving. The 24-year-old also admitted that he has been surprised by the level of the Saudi league, describing it as a good standard and pointing to the number of European players helping to raise its quality.

Season Position 2025-26 18th 2024-25 14th 2023-24 9th 2022-23 14th 2021-22 7th West Ham United's last five league finishes However, he was clear that he does not want to compare it with the Premier League, which he considers the best league, while acknowledging that the Saudi league remains a tough competition. Summerville said at apress conference:"From what I've experienced now, it's fun.

I was very well taken care of by the people there. It's a very nice club and I feel good.

If people look more into the club and the league, I think people realise that it is a really good level. I don't want to compare it to the Premier League, because for me that's the best league.

But it's definitely tough and you have a lot of players from Europe who make the league better." The Oranje have collected just four points from their opening two matches and will be targeting maximum points from their upcoming fixtures against Greece and Serbia. Summerville,who is on a lucrative package with Al Hilal, will be keen to make his mark for his country over the next fortnight.

Whether the former Leeds and West Ham star will return to the Premier League in the future remains to be seen.