Taylor Ward, the wife of Riyad Mahrez, states that she feels safer residing in Saudi Arabia with her husband, Riyad Mahrez. This move came after concerns about burglaries targeting the homes of Premier League stars in the UK.
The 27-year-old reality TV personality mentioned to The Sun on Sunday that she can now sleep peacefully at night. This feeling of security arose after relocating to Jeddah, where her 34-year-old husband, formerly of Manchester City, now plays for Al-Ahli following a £30million transfer from the Premier League champions.
Gangs have targeted numerous multi-million pound homes of footballers in the “Cheshire Golden Triangle,” an area encompassing Wilmslow, Alderley Edge, and Prestbury.
Some of these homes were styled by Taylor’s mother, Dawn Ward, a renowned interior designer. However, Taylor now feels secure in the Middle East, allowing her to feel comfortable with her £850,000-a-week husband purchasing lavish gifts.
Taylor stated, “I feel much safer in Saudi Arabia; I can actually sleep through the night now.”
“My house in Saudi Arabia is ten times larger than my UK home, and if I had to live alone, I would choose Saudi Arabia any day.”
“I have never been alone in England, ever. We live in an apartment. I’ve never been there by myself. I am just very aware of my surroundings.”
“There are many burglaries and negative incidents happening, especially in Cheshire. It’s a significant issue.”
“Living abroad is now wonderful because I don’t bring valuables home. It’s not worth it because we have been burgled before, and it discourages you from owning nice possessions.”
“I used to tell Riyad, ‘Please don’t buy me a watch for my birthday, please don’t buy me these things because I don’t want to become a target.’”
“Now that we live in Saudi Arabia, I can actually enjoy and wear nice things.”
Manchester City winger Jack Grealish had his £5.6 million house raided on Boxing Day while he was playing. The gang stole £1 million worth of luxury items, including watches and jewelry.
His girlfriend, Sasha Attwood, was inside the house during the burglary and was terrified.
Former Liverpool players Steven Gerrard and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, as well as ex-Everton defender Phil Jagielka, have also been targeted in the past.
Taylor, who has a 20-month-old daughter with Mahrez and is a stepmother to his two other daughters, is one of the five WAGS starring in the Prime Video series “Married to the Game.” This series explores the glamorous lives of partners of famous footballers.
The second series, which premieres on Monday, features Taylor alongside Cat Harding, fiancée of Arsenal player Jorginho; Gabrielle Figueiredo, wife of Jorginho`s Arsenal teammate Gabriel Magalhães; Chelsea WAG Claudia Rodríguez and her boyfriend Marc Cucurella; and Aston Villa star Leon Bailey and his girlfriend Stephanie Hope.
In the first series streamed last year, Taylor went viral after she cried when five-time Premier League winner Mahrez informed her about their move to Saudi Arabia following his transfer from Manchester City.
After taking months to settle in the Middle East, Taylor now feels at home. However, there are some notable differences, especially concerning the WAGS community there.
She explained, “There is no champagne. When we went to the Etihad, it was like a day out, and I had a very good relationship with everyone at Man City.”
“We traveled extensively because they were in all the finals, like the Champions League and everything else.”
“We took many trips together and developed a very close bond, which is really lovely.”
“It’s slightly different in Saudi Arabia. I don’t know the players and their partners as well here.”
“People are more reserved and keep to themselves more out here.”
