Wijnaldum feels right at home in Saudi Arabia. | OneFootball

After more than 18 months in the Kingdom with Ettifaq, Georginio Wijnaldum has fully settled into the life and culture that Saudi Arabia has to offer.

Having made a name for himself at Liverpool, where he won the UEFA Champions League in 2018-19 and the Premier League title in 2019-20, the 34-year-old has brought all of that experience with him to Dammam where he is leading by example on the field as Ettifaq try to recover their season under new manager Saad Al Shehri after a shaky start.

The Roshn Saudi League recently spent the day with the star midfielder to learn more about what makes him tick and his life in Saudi Arabia.

On his enjoyment of living in and exploring Saudi Arabia

“These days with social media and TikTok you see a lot places and a lot of beautiful places. You have Al Ula, the Red Sea. I saw a place that looks like the Maldives with the houses on the water.

A lot of the times you think those places are not even Saudi Arabia. I also want to go to Jeddah and look at historical things, like the buildings there. I don't only want to see the luxury things, but the culture things. This is also nice.

(I’m) trying to understand the culture, understand the people. The way people are they’re really welcoming.

“It’s a nice country. It’s safe, and you can see it with your own eyes, and that you can give your own thoughts about the country. Not hearing it from people, or read it in the media or something like that.

In that way it will surprise a lot of people how beautiful this country is. I have a really good feeling about it, because I see the changes they make in the country.”

On the FIFA World Cup 2034

“At Ettifaq, in terms the facilities with the pitch and the stadium, they do those kind of things to have one of the best World Cups.

I think with the World Cup, it will also give the country (an opportunity) to show the people what kind of country Saudi Arabia is and what it represents."

On life in the Ettifaq dressing room and scoring goals

“I have a really good relationship with all of my teammates. What gives me the best feeling is when the local players have a situation and they come to me and talk about it.

The best thing for me is that my teammates respect me as a captain and accept me as a captain.”

“For me to make a goal is the most special thing in football, because what I like the most about scoring a goal is to celebrate it with the fans. A goal can connect happiness between a team and the fans.

The game against Al Shabab where the team really need the supporters, I had a feeling they were really interfering with the game and with helping us to win the game, because it was a really difficult game for us.

They are really passionate about football and how much they care about football and care about their club.”

On the Roshn Saudi League and its future

There’s a lot of talent in Saudi. A lot of good teams and a lot of good players. The competition is really competitive.

The player that I really like, we played against Al Shabab (recently) and there’s a midfielder, a young player (Musab Al Juwayr). When we analysed them in the videos I already saw on the ball, the passes he gave between the lines and everything is really good.

I like Mukhtar (Ali) who has just joined us. I like (Abdullah) Radif, I liked him since before he came to us. I like Salem (Al Dawsari).

I think more players will come, especially if the league will change and get better, because players want to play in the best leagues. (So) if it keeps developing then I saw more players are coming.

But I also see if this happens the local players will be even better than they are right now and they will have a better national team.”

On his passion for photography

“It started with a photographer, they asked me if they can come to Liverpool with a photographer and when he showed me the results I thought they were quite nice.

I went and bought a camera and basically he helped me to get better. I don’t think I have that natural talent (for it), but I work hard to get better. I try to learn from all kinds of photographers. Even on Instagram I follow some photographers and see how they take pictures and how they edit, and just try to do it with my own pictures.

The pictures that I like to make is portraits of family members. A lot of times people ask me to take pictures of them, or for their brand but I am too shy to do it. But for family, especially for my children, I like to make those pictures.

“The relationship with my children, I am quite lucky. They adapt to the countries I am going through, they adapt to different kinds of people.

If I look at my son, he’s been to three schools already. The way he is adapting is a different level, and I am lucky with that because it makes it easier for me to concentrate on football and to do my best on the pitch.

My oldest daughter, she plays football also now. When we call each other and she speaks about her game or training or what she has to do better.

She saw my goal against Al Okhdood, she was like: ‘Where did you get the power from? You’re so strong! That was such a nice goal, you have to make more of those type of goals'."