Robbie Fowler: Liverpool great on Saudi Pro League, Mohamed Salah and his coaching journey

Robbie Fowler believes the standard of football in Saudi Arabia is comparable to top European leagues as he looks for his next managerial assignment.

The Saudi Pro League became the destination of choice for many players this year, highlighted by the league's unprecedented summer of spending that saw its clubs sign world-class talents such as Karim Benzema, Neymar, Sadio Mane and Riyad Mahrez.

While that recruitment drive has no doubt helped elevate levels, Fowler said he experienced first-hand that the foundations were already in place for Saudi Arabian football to succeed.

"I think there's a genuine love for the game over there. I enjoyed watching the Pro League, I really did," Fowler told The National in an exclusive interview in Dubai.

"I think maybe back home [in the UK] there's maybe a little bit of a propaganda issue in terms of when it comes to Saudi for reasons I don't really want to get into, but from a football point of view I genuinely enjoyed watching the games. The football is a good standard.

"What I can say, and I don't mean this in a derogatory way, because I can say this about any league in the world, is there's some very, very good players, but some not so great players. But I think you can say that about the Premier League. Not every player in the Premier League is perfect, and [not having that] is why the game is so great. Not everyone's brilliant but the fact is that there's a little bit of greatness, a little bit of rawness I think is what makes the whole spectacle that little bit better."

Criticism of the standard of the Saudi Pro League and the astronomical wages on offer have been a near constant since the kingdom shook the football world 12 months ago with the announcement that Cristiano