Whilst the likes of Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, Ruben Neves, Edouard Mendy, Roberto Firmino and Jordan Henderson have hitched themselves to the caravan of desert dollars, there’s an alternative Jordan among them.

Twenty-year-old, Brisbane-raised Jordan Harrison, coming off a four-year stretch at Watford, has saddled up for Riyadh satellite side Al Fateh, coached by extrovert former Croatia, West Ham, West Brom and Watford mentor Slaven Bilic.

The Olyroo was born in the Kingdom and qualifies as a local player in a league which has been dishing out hundreds of millions to give itself relevance on the football map, proving that last year’s capture of Ronaldo by Al Nassr was just a prelude of things to come.

But for injuries Harrison might already be among Australia’s best and brightest young talents.

As things stand, he’s making up for lost time at a club where, if selected regularly, he’ll find himself pitted against some of football’s most feted stars.

“Players are coming here for different reasons,” Harrison told FTBL. “Certainly some of the established older star players are coming for money. 

“In my case, I’m younger and that’s not a factor. I was approached a few months ago by people who knew I was born here and wouldn’t be considered a visa player. 

“The list of big players here just keeps getting longer - Champions League winners, Balon D’Or nominees and winners - and then there’s me, this kid from Australia, among them. 

“It’s definitely something I never expected. It’s pretty crazy.”

Harrison has yet to play senior competitive football, his progress stymied by a knee injury which he has put far behind him.

Sheer will and grit brought him back to prime condition, and he’s been involved in several pre-season outings for his new club ahead of the season kick off next week.

“I’m not expecting to start games initially - there’s a lot of quality here and underrated players and I’ll bide my time,” he explained.

“I can learn a lot here. I’ve signed for three seasons and I think the Watford connection with Slaven Bilic may have had something to do with me being here.

“I like his style of coaching a lot and he’s also a great man manager. He knows how to relate to players and motivate them,

“He’s given me my debut here and I think, as a young player, I’m in a unusual position as a foreigner where all the other imports are older and well established in their careers.

“There’s a risk in it for me, but with risk comes big rewards. It’s an opportunity I didn’t want to turn down, even if it’s a bit going into the unknown.

“There’s big passion among the locals for the club - on game days you see people on the streets setting up TVs to watch the match and streaming it on their phones. They’ve won the Pro League before and there’s huge interest in the team here.

“I spent four years at Watford and it was a big learning experience. I matured as a player and person there.

“So, looking at where I am now, I’m just grateful to be in this position having missed so much football. It's like a fresh start."

Harrison has represented Scotland at U-15 level, and is also eligible for England and South Africa. But his heart lies with Australia, the hope being he gets a call next month for the Olyroos as they seek to qualify for the 2024 Paris Games.

“I was called up for a camp by Tony Vidmar earlier this year where we played Switzerland and I’d love to stay involved,” he added.

“I’d rather play for Australia and win a World Cup than a Champions League for a club. It’s where I spent my childhood and I have so many memories from there.”