From the Cymru Premier to Cristiano Ronaldo - Young on shock Saudi move

Brad Young could soon be facing Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia

From golden boot to golden opportunity, Brad Young admits his life is about to change.

Welsh domestic football’s leading scorer last season, Young would have expected interest following his breakthrough performances for The New Saints.

What perhaps he and many more would not have predicted was that the offer would come to the Cymru Premier champions from the Saudi Pro-League, increasingly football’s land of high-profile stars – and even higher wages.

And so, on the same weekend the Welsh champions and his old team are preparing to face Briton Ferry Llansawel at the start of next month, 21-year-old Young will be lining up against Cristiano Ronaldo.

Young is waiting on his visa before jetting out to join fellow new signing Kurt Zouma at Al-Orobah, with that 5 October game against Al Nassr no doubt in his mind.

And, having been playing against some semi-pro teams in TNS’ title-winning campaign, there will be the match ups against Neymar, Karim Benzema, and more.

“I’m really excited, just look at what footballers are in that league,” Young told BBC Radio Wales

“Saudi has already practically taken over boxing, and they’re on the verge of taking over football. They’re investing good money into it and soon - in five, 10 years’ time - it will be just like the Premier League.

“It’s a life-changing opportunity.”

Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Al-Nassr in December 2022 has prompted a number of big names to join the Saudi Pro League.

Young, whose early days at Aston Villa’s academy were almost wrecked by a serious knife attack, had always declared an ambition to move abroad, though perhaps he didn’t expect the circumstances.

The deal includes a Welsh domestic football’s largest fee, the £190,000 thought to be doubling the previous record in a league where most moves are at the end of contracts or simply nominal fees.

It does though come at a time where the Cymru Premier has had new investment and increasing interest, with TNS’ historic qualification for the group stages of the Europa Conference League timely.

It was after the play-off first-leg against Lithuania’s Panevezys that Young said his agent made him aware of the Pro-League interest, with New Saint’s owner Mike Harris never likely to stand in the way of an “exceptional” offer to the player even if he was loathe to lose his leading marksman.

Within a week the transfer that raised eyebrows everywhere was completed.

“I wasn’t expecting for it to go this big,” Young said of the headlines made.

“It’s big for Welsh domestic football and TNS - it’s not everybody they sell to Saudi Arabia, one of the best countries in the world and a top football league.

"It’s probably bigger than me going to the Premier League because it’s worldwide and it’s not something that usually happens."

Success for Young could prove good for the Cymru Premier, with Young – released by Villa last summer – admitting he owes much to the Welsh platform.

“Hopefully young players can see this,” he said. “I was struggling for a club, TNS took me in and gave me a platform to play and perform and show what I’m about. I have to thank them.

“I always said to my family I wanted to play abroad, I didn’t just want to play in the UK. If I do well out there, it opens me up worldwide and I could go to whatever league I want.”

Brad Young scored 22 times in 25 games as The New Saints went unbeaten to win the 2023-24 Cymru Premier