Riyad Mahrez‘s transfer to Saudi Arabia final summer season was an enormous shock for soccer followers however no-one was shocked greater than his spouse, mannequin and influencer Taylor Ward.
The 26-year-old, who’s the daughter of Actual Home of Cheshire star Daybreak and former Premier League participant Ashley, went viral after a clip for her new documentary confirmed Mahrez’s blunt reaction to her shock when discovering out she was set to maneuver to Saudi Professional League membership Al-Ahli.
Ward stated she was ‘overwhelmed’ when Mahrez knowledgeable her they’d be leaving Man City and shifting to Jeddah at quick discover, with the winger telling her: ‘It is a part of the sport, innit,’ after she had expressed concern that she could be ‘sat at house alone’.
That second can be documented within the upcoming Prime Video present Married to the Recreation, which can also be set to element the couple’s transfer to Saudi and present how they’ve since settled into the nation. Different wives and girlfriends of footballers will exhibit their very own existence in subsequent episodes.
Ward admitted Mahrez’s response to her ‘nonetheless haunts me’, however stated the Algerian participant was ‘straight-talking’ and ‘to the purpose’ as she opened up on the ’emotional rollercoaster’ whereas talking to Mail Sport.
Taylor Ward – the spouse of former Premier League star Riyad Mahrez – has revealed what dwelling in Saudi Arabia is like after her shock transfer to the Center East
The influencer stated she was loyal to Mahrez and trusts him over the transfer, insisting that she will work anyplace on the earth
Mahrez’s response to Ward’s emotional response to the information went viral after he brutally stated: ‘It is a part of the sport innit’
‘That line haunts me,’ she stated, as she defined {that a} clip of her crying was after a sitdown together with her sister in a while.
‘I maintain seeing it on social media. That entire week was simply an emotional rollercoaster actually. It was an enormous shock and I had completely no concept. Sooner or later we have been planning for Riyad to return to pre-season with Metropolis after which in a single day we have been shifting to Saudi and I used to be planning this entire transfer.
‘I believe it was simply very overwhelming on the time and an enormous shock as a result of I simply did not see it coming in any respect. That scene with Riyad – that’s simply him to a tee. He’s simply straight speaking and to the purpose. He’s very a lot similar to, “it’s what it’s, you have to recover from it now”, whereas I am extra emotional. That is why we work as a result of I am a little bit of a flapper in these conditions and he is very on the ball and simply will get on with it.’
Ward spoke of how the pair have been on vacation when Mahrez acquired the supply earlier than he jetted house to say his goodbyes to his Manchester Metropolis team-mates – and the wheels began turning rapidly. The fast-nature of the transfer left her with little time to course of issues, and even say her personal goodbyes to folks on the Etihad.
‘We have been really on vacation on the time and there was speak in regards to the transfer,’ stated Ward.
‘Riyad had just a few years left on his contract at Metropolis and was actually settled there. Each dialog was “we’re not going to maneuver but, it is one thing we’ll think about in just a few years”. I began listening to folks from Saudi exhibiting curiosity however by no means thought something would come of it.
‘He flew house two days early to begin pre-season so so far as I used to be involved he was going again to Man Metropolis and that was it. Sooner or later he rang me whereas I used to be sat on the seashore and stated “we’re shifting and I am going tomorrow, that is it”.
‘He put me on the cellphone to one of many women on the membership and I burst into tears – I used to be like “I am unable to consider that is occurring”. It occurred so fast, you aren’t getting a minute to say bye to everybody. One minute he was beginning pre-season, the following he was saying goodbye.’
Ward is a social media sensation with almost 3million followers on her Instagram account
Ward stated she was ‘overwhelmed’ after ex-Man Metropolis star Mahrez knowledgeable her he could be becoming a member of Saudi Professional League facet Al-Ahli
Married to the Recreation will present how the Mahrez household – together with their 18-month-old daughter Mila – have settled into Jeddah, although Ward revealed she has to this point been travelling backwards and forwards from Manchester as she wraps up preparations to completely transfer into their house.
A lot has been manufactured from restrictions in Saudi Arabia. The household of former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson lived within the extra business Bahrain throughout his ill-fated six-month spell, although they nonetheless struggled to settle earlier than he sealed a transfer to Ajax within the Netherlands.
Mail Sport reported how the spouse one one participant who had joined a Saudi membership final summer season was being hissed at in a procuring centre for carrying shorts.
In the meantime, searing temperatures of 30 levels and paltry crowds at stadiums have additionally lessened the urge for food for stars becoming a member of the Saudi revolution in a rustic that’s set to host the 2030 World Cup.
Nevertheless, Ward insists she has been ‘stunned’ by life within the Center East, having been made to really feel a bit of bit nearer to house after discovering solace in just a few creature comforts – together with recognizing an unlikely Nando’s chain.
‘To date, the expertise has been superb,’ she added. ‘There’s clearly no alcohol so I will not be having a glass of wine! To be sincere, there’s extra there than I initially thought. Once I went on my first journey, I noticed a Nando’s. I used to be similar to “I am so pleased they have Nando’s”.
‘The vibe is simply very completely different. It is much more chilled on the market, it is quieter and calmer, whereas in Manchester life is so busy – there’s a lot occurring and we’re all the time going out for dinner and seeing mates. That is most likely what I am lacking probably the most, seeing household and mates fairly than what the nation is lacking.
‘The folks have been so beautiful – I believe that was really an enormous shock, how good everybody has been. You possibly can’t examine it to the UK – it is nothing like right here. I am having fun with it to this point, it simply looks like I am on vacation, I do not really feel like I’ve moved there but.’
Mahrez and Ward acquired married in September for the second time – after first having a Muslim ceremony in 2022
The restriction that can’t be escaped is the apparent segregations on gender, corresponding to these seen in swimming swimming pools and motels, a few of which solely permit {couples} to remain collectively if they’re married.
However Ward claimed guidelines are being relaxed on a regular basis, including: ‘I believe it depends upon the place you go. For the time being they’re enjoyable these guidelines. From what I had heard, I used to be fearful about that stuff once we first went, but it surely’s stunned me. It is extra relaxed from what I used to be first advised.’
When put to her about Henderson’s household dwelling within the neighbouring Bahrain, she reiterated that she was pleased in Jeddah and deliberate to be there for the foreseeable future.
‘I am not simply saying this, I really actually prefer it,’ she stated. ‘I am unable to fault it to this point, we have actually loved it. We have simply acquired our home right here so I am going to undoubtedly be staying in Jeddah and will not be going anyplace else.
‘It is acquired lovely seashores, outlets, eating places. I do not suppose there could be any want to maneuver anyplace else. I will be in Jeddah for the forseeable that is for certain.’
The collection will discover different {couples} and their journeys to different locations to comply with the desires of soccer stars, corresponding to Sarah Gundogan travelling with husband Ilkay – a former Metropolis team-mate of Mahrez – this time going from Manchester to the extra liberal Barcelona.
So, would Ward fancy going to some other vacation spot of her alternative if the ability have been in her palms?
She has maintained that wherever Mahrez goes, she goes – a vow that was made very early on of their relationship as soon as issues turned severe, respecting that the participant himself has a brief profession and must profit from it.
‘We all the time agreed from the start that with soccer issues change and wherever he went I might go along with him,’ she stated.
Ward stated the pair – who’ve an 18-month-old daughter, Mila – have been stunned by life in Saudi Arabia and are having fun with it to this point
‘I am very lucky that with my job I can simply journey and I haven’t got something holding me again in that sense. It was all the time one thing that I agreed to and stated “hear, I need us to stay collectively as a household”. Soccer careers are so quick and it’s a must to profit from it.
‘It was nonetheless an enormous shock and when that day comes you may’t put together for it. Riyad will all the time do what’s finest for the household. If it was someplace actually stunning, he would not conform to go within the first place. I belief him.’
As for her family and friends – that has been one of many greatest wrenches of this transfer for Ward. She stated they have been ‘devastated’ and that not having them round was the hardest half, though a sweetener within the transfer is having her mother and father dwelling in Dubai, only a two-hour flight away.
‘Everybody’s been actually supportive,’ Ward stated. ‘Clearly it was a shock firstly. My grandparents nonetheless reside within the UK and so they have been devastated that I used to be leaving. It is solely a five-and-a-half hour flight in the event that they need to see me. We’ll simply do journeys there and again and household will come see me.
‘My mum and pa reside in Dubai which is a two-hour flight away. They’ve been to Saudi six or seven instances already – consistently turning as much as come and see me which is good.’
There have already been murmurs of discontent from a handful of star names who’ve lately moved to the Saudi Professional League.
Along with Henderson being unsettled, former Liverpool man Roberto Firmino was reportedly eyeing a return to the Premier League, whereas ex-Actual Madrid foward Karim Benzema fell out along with his supervisor at Al-Ittihad, with rumours he was looking for an exit.
However the identical can’t be stated for Mahrez, who Ward says is loving life at Al-Ahli and has no plans to return to the Premier League or transfer anyplace else for the meantime.
‘Soccer is so unpredictable, when that switch window opens you don’t have any concept what is going on to occur,’ she went on. ‘For now, the plan is to remain in Saudi for just a few years and luxuriate in it. I put a lot effort into making this home good so I need to reside in it for a bit and luxuriate in settling down.
Ward stated she hoped folks noticed what she was actually like as an individual and never simply the ‘glamorous’ facet within the documentary alongside Mahrez
‘We’ll see, who is aware of – proper now he is actually having fun with it. He loves his membership and he is met some good mates, just a few different French guys on the group who he will get on very well with.’
Ward has accomplished a little bit of that settling in herself by assembly up with fellow wives and girlfriends of Mahrez’s team-mates at Al-Ahli, a lot of whom are ‘in the identical boat’ exploring and discovering a brand new nation in unfamiliar environment.
She is hoping now that followers and viewers will see a distinct facet to her and never simply the ‘glamorous facet’ that everybody sees on social media, insisting her life is ‘not all roses and rainbows’.
‘Lots of people see footage on Instagram of our lives and suppose every little thing is so excellent and glamorous, however they do not see what we’re like as folks and what goes on behind the scenes,’ Ward stated.
‘I hope it provides folks a greater perception into that and lets folks get to know us higher in that sense, and see that it isn’t all roses and rainbows.
‘We’re not these excellent those who lead these superb, glamorous lives – we’re really very regular as effectively. I hope they get to see a little bit of each.’
