13 February 2024 , 11:16
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Riyad Mahrez's wife Taylor Ward has revealed she was left "overwhelmed" after he informed her he was set to move to the Saudi Pro League.
She also admitted the winger's blunt response to her concerns "still haunts me", with the moment included in the trailer for a new Amazon Prime Video docuseries called 'Married to the Game' which follows the lives of Premier League stars and their wives and girlfriends.
Mahrez left Manchester City to join Saudi club Al-Ahli last summer, where he has linked up with the likes of ex-Liverpool star Roberto Firmino, former Newcastle winger Allan Saint-Maximin and ex-Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. Footage of Mahrez breaking the news to his wife that he was joining Al-Ahli went viral on social media, with Ward explaining in the docuseries: "Riyad rung me and basically told me that 'we're moving to Saudi'."
The clip then cuts to Ward sat across from Mahrez as she tells him: "I'm going to be sat at home on my own." To which Mahrez simply replies: "It's part of the game innit."
And when asked about that moment in an interview with the Daily Mail, Ward admitted: "That line haunts me. I keep seeing it on social media. That whole week was just an emotional rollercoaster really.
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"It was a huge shock and I had absolutely no idea. One day we were planning for Riyad to go back to pre-season with City and then overnight we were moving to Saudi and I was planning this whole move.
Taylor Ward was left in tears after Mahrez told her he was joining Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli (Married to the Game/Amazon Prime)"I think it was just very overwhelming at the time and a massive shock because I just didn't see it coming at all." However, Ward admits she has been "surprised" by the move to Saudi Arabia, although she is missing being able to see her family and friends.
"The vibe is just very different," she explained. "It's a lot more chilled out there, it's quieter and calmer, whereas in Manchester life is so busy - there's so much going on and we're always going out for dinner and seeing friends. That's probably what I'm missing the most, seeing family and friends rather than what the country is missing.
"At the moment they're looking at relaxing these rules. From what I had heard, I was worried about that stuff when we first went, but it's surprised me. It's more relaxed from what I was first told."
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