With the news that one of Europe's leading referees, Mark Clattenburg, has swapped the Premier League and the Champions League for Saudi Arabia, ESPN FC lists five things the high-profile official can expect in his new home.

He will be the biggest international name in the league

There have been times when the big Saudi clubs were not short of money but increasingly, when the most famous international stars head to the Middle East, they go to Qatar or the United Arab Emirates. In recent years, Diego Maradona coached in Dubai and Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez is still playing for Al Sadd in Doha.

In Saudi Arabia, there was legendary Brazilian international Roberto Rivelino, hero of Al Hilal in the late 70s and early 80s with a goal almost every other game. Fellow Brazilian Denilson headed to Al Nassr in 2006 but while there have been plenty of decent imports over the years, there has not been much international star power.

There is passion

There is a real love of the game in the country. Despite missing out on the last two World Cups, Saudi Arabia remains one of Asia's powerhouses.

Al Hilal are one of the biggest teams in Asia with a rich history of winning continental championships and a burning ambition to win more. Al Ittihad of Jeddah remain the only team to win back-to-back Asian Champions League titles in 2004 and 2005 with the latter edition helped by stars such as Mohamed Kallon and Joseph Desire-Job on loan from Monaco and Middlesbrough respectively.

Jeddah rivals Al Ahli (who share with Al Ittihad the magnificent King Abdullah Sports City Stadium opened in 2014) are current champions and led by Christian Gross while Al Nassr are back among the trophies after some lean years.

While attendances up and down the country can be erratic, for the big games there are some massive crowds that will give the referee plenty of atmosphere to enjoy.

Saudi Arabia will test his game management skills

Even the most casual observer of Saudi Arabian teams in action will notice sooner or later that running down the clock is a fine art in the Kingdom. From a young age, players are taught how to protect a lead.

Clattenburg may have come across this in Europe but it tends to be more blatant in Saudi Arabia.

Goalkeepers are especially prone to developing injuries after almost every save when their team is narrowly ahead, with cramp a common sight. Visiting coaches have expressed their frustration with the habit, especially as almost every time a player drops to the floor, the ball is dutifully kicked out of play by the opposition.

Australia defender Trent Sainsbury complained about it after a 2018 World Cup qualifier in Jeddah in October.

"Even after they scored in the first five minutes, you've got people telling them to stay in the corner and try and soak up minutes. It's ridiculous," said Sainsbury.

"Then they're going down with cramp when they're leading 1-0."

Mark Clattenburg oversaw 393 Premier League matches, handing out 1,301 yellow cards and 56 reds. Clive Mason/Getty Images

The profession's local reputation needs help

Inviting foreign referees to officiate big games is not alien to Asia. It has happened from Tehran to Tokyo over the years. There are various reasons why it has been done but often it is to avoid the perception that local officials are either incompetent, biased or bribed.

This is an image that Clattenburg can help to fix. Attacks such as that in December, made by Al Batin president Nassr Al Huwaidi after the newly promoted team lost at home to Al Ahli are not that uncommon.

"The referee handed the match to Al Ahli," said Al Huwaidi. "They didn't deserve to win. Now we know what it means to play in a league governed by money, we wouldn't let a Saudi referee officiate our matches if we had the money for it."

Trying to bring a little belief and faith back to the profession will be one of the Englishman's biggest legacies, if he can achieve it.

Communication is crucial on and off the pitch

One area where Saudi referees are noticeably different to European counterparts is in the field of communication.

The sight of a referee talking to players throughout the game to explain decisions and issue gentle warnings at an early stage are not that common in Saudi Arabia. Officials tend to let their cards do the talking for them and while there is a time and a place for that, it can limit their choices when big decisions have to be made.

Greater engagement and understanding between players and officials can only be beneficial and Clattenburg can make a real difference in this regard, increasing levels of mutual respect.