Former Celtic defender Jack Hendry has come out in defence of the quality of the Saudi Pro League.
It never worked out for Hendry at Celtic Park as the centre-back often played second fiddle to other options before moving to Oostende in Belgium.
Since then he has gone on from strength-to-strength and now finds himself in the Saudi Pro League with Al Ettifaq, where he has played since 2023.
The 30-year-old is also a regular in the Scotland national team, but concerns about the overall quality of the division are something he has had to defend once again.
Jack Hendry silences Saudi Pro League doubters
Ahead of Scotland’s important World Cup qualifiers against Greece and Denmark, the centre-back was asked about his preparations at club level and if they would ensure he would be ready for the challenge.
He told the Scotsman: “I do really enjoy it out here. I’ve had numerous offers since I’ve been here and chosen to stay. For me, it’s just embracing whatever country I go to, learning the culture and most importantly, getting better as a player. I feel that these tests that I get each week only help.
“You’re getting tested against international players. They might not be international players from the top nations, but they’re still international-calibre players. It says a lot.”
Jack Hendry is playing with a Celtic hero
It may have not worked out for Hendry at Celtic Park, but the same can’t be said for one of his current teammates.
Leading the line at Al Ettifaq is Celtic hero, Moussa Dembele.
The striker has been in Saudi Arabia since 2023 – joining at the same time as Hendry – and has been relatively sharp in front of goal, scoring 23 times in 54 games.
His Celtic career was a lot more prolific, however, bagging 51 in 94 games, including a perfect hat-trick against Rangers.
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