'I really want to help Saudi football grow' - 2022 Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema said he always planned to leave Real Madrid and move to Saudi Arabia

The French striker made a shock move to the Saudi Pro League in a free transfer in the summer, opting to join Al-Ittihad instead of extending his contract at Real Madrid.

The 35-year-old signed a three-year contract with the club and has a positive start, scoring three times in seven league matches for the defending champions.

The 2022 Ballon d'Or winner has opened up about his reasons for making the move to the Middle East, saying he had long wanted to live in Saudi Arabia.

"For a really long time even before football, I always wanted to come here," he told the league's media. "Also, it's a Muslim country. Straight away I felt this love for me. On and off the pitch I feel good. This country welcomed me with open arms. I feel the love of the people here so obviously that makes me happy."

He added: "I really want to help Saudi football grow. [Al-Ittihad] was a project that was just starting to burst from everywhere so from my side I wanted to be part of the story. That's the reason why I came here."

Benzema will hope to fire his team to victory when they take on Al-Taawoun in the Saudi Pro League on October 20.