Albion striker Tomer Hemed says the Premier League is tougher than La Liga and is the best in the world.

The Israeli international's vote of confidence coincides with two titanic tussles between English and Spanish clubs in the last 16 of the Champions League.

Chelsea take on Barcelona at Stamford Bridge in the first leg tonight, while Albion's FA Cup quarter-final hosts Manchester United visit Sevilla tomorrow night.

Hemed, who played more than 100 games in La Liga for Real Mallorca and Almeria, said of the Premier League: "Yes it's the hardest.

"From my experience, if I compare to Spain, this League is the best in the world, not just compared to the Spanish one.

"The teams compete from the bottom to the top. There are never easy games. Nobody can know already before the game they are going to take the points.

"The money the teams at the bottom in England spend makes a difference. In spain the teams in the middle and bottom cannot compete like the teams here. Spain is for me the second-best League.

"Also in Isreal they say they can watch Brighton against Watford and it feels like a big game. Sometimes in Spain if it's two teams from the bottom it's not really interesting.

"Also it's harder, tougher, stronger, quicker, but I cannot say a bad word about the Spanish League. As an Israeli player it was a dream to play at that kind of level, the Spanish League and also the PL. I can just say thank God that I'm here and can achieve it."