Super Eagles defender shares touching message after confirmation of season-ending injury

Troost-Ekong was the best player at the just concluded AFCON, but it came at a cost

Super Eagles defender William Troost-Ekong has sent a touching message to his fans after he was ruled out of the season for PAOK due to an injury he sustained during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, Soccernet.ng reports.

Troost-Ekong was one of the best performers at the AFCON in 2023. He played six of the Super Eagles’ seven games in the tournament, helping Nigeria to the final, where they suffered a 2-1 loss to Cote d’Ivoire. Troost-Ekong scored three goals- the highest from any defender in the competition and despite losing the final, he was awarded the Player of the Tournament.

Unfortunately, his impressive performances came at a cost. Earlier, Soccernet.ng reported that the former Watford man had been ruled out of the season because he had to undergo surgery to treat an injury he sustained at the AFCON.

Following that development, Troost-Ekong shared a touching message to his fans on social media.

“As many may know, I got injured during AFCON. Disappointingly, this injury has turned out to be more serious than first thought,” Troost-Ekong wrote.

“I have always given everything and pushed myself. Every player has played with pain at some point in their career to fight for club or country – it is part of the game.

“I managed to continue in the knockout stages, and I was willing to continue to do the same now to help PAOK push for the prizes in the league and Europe too.

“But after more assessments and consultations, it was the best decision long-term to undergo surgery now. My full focus is on getting back better than ever before.

Because of his injury, Troost-Ekong will have to wait until next season before he can play for PAOK. He still has two years left on his current deal at the Greek giants. Hence, he does not need to bother about getting a new club