West Brom fans have chance to watch Matheus Pereira magic again
His magical performances inspired Albion to promotion to the Premier League.
And now Matheus Pereira is set to return to the West Midlands once again when his Al-Hilal side take on Tamworth in a prestigious friendly for the non-league side.
Pereira shone for the Baggies from the moment he arrived from Sporting Lisbon in August 2019.
His sensational displays under Slaven Bilic led to comparisons to the great Laurie Cunningham.
And while he left under a cloud following a public war of words with former boss Valerien Ismael, the Brazilian is still adored by the majority of Albion fans.
Now Pereira is set to return to England to play in a pre-season friendly for Al-Hilal against Tamworth on Friday, July 15.
The Saudi Arabian side won the AFC Champions League – the Asian Champions League – last season.
And they are set to embark on a tour of England next month that will also see them take on Championship and Premier League sides in friendlies.
The fixture is taking place after Tamworth general manager Scott Rickards had a conversation with former Premier League chairman Sir Dave Richards who is now an ambassador for Al-Hilal.
“I was put in touch with Sir Dave Richards,” Mr Rickards said.
“And he mentioned that Al-Hilal are coming over to the UK on a tour, that they are staying at St George’s Park and they are looking for fixtures.
“They have got some friendlies lined up against some Premier League and Championship teams.
“But they wanted a game against a non-league side as well.
“And after a few emails they agreed they said they would like to come and play at The Lamb which is a real coup for us.
“It’s a great game for Tamworth, especially when you consider the level they play at in world football.
“They have now confirmed the friendly and they have also confirmed it will be their first team taking part.
“It’s brilliant for us. A real flagship friendly. Al-Hilal play at a 67,000-capacity stadium whereas the Lamb holds 4,000.
“But we’re hoping to sell as many tickets as possible and really make it a night to remember.”
The game will kick-off at 7.45pm on Friday, July 15. Tickets will go on sale on Tamworth’s club website.
