Super Eagles captain, William Troost-Ekong, has revealed the main reason he joined Saudi Pro League side, Al-Kholood, from PAOK Thessaloniki, despite winning the league title with the Greek side, Soccernet.ng reports.
The 31-year-old last played an official club game for PAOK in December, just before the AFCON 2023 tournament kicked off in Ivory Coast. After the tournament, he suffered an injury that kept him out of action till the end of the season.
His display in Cote D'ivoire saw him linked with a move to a host of Middle Eastern clubs and the former Watford man ended up signing for Al-Kholood in a deal worth around €1.1m.
Speaking about why he made the switch to the Middle East, Ekong revealed the consideration came after he won the POTY award at the AFCON tournament.
“It was something I wasn't thinking about before the AFCON. I was playing in Greek PAOK. I was playing European football, winning the league, something I haven't done before and we are aiming for the Champions League and now they finally achieve European League. During the AFCON, I was trying to focus on performing for Nigeria,” the former Tottenham Hotspur man said in an interview with The Counter Attack Podcast.
Ekong captained Nigeria to a second-place finish in Saudi, and immediately had surgery on his huberus femuris muscle in his right leg. Time off the pitch meant he had to do a lot of recovery and contemplating on his future as a footballer.
“Surely after that the rumours started and my agent spoke with many clubs from around the world but there was a lot of interest from Saudi Arabia. The months after I was focused on getting fit again, and when we came together again at the start of the season we spoke about everything then I made my mind up that was something I wanted to do if the offer was right, but at the same time everybody talk about the opportunity you have there to guaranty your future to think about my family, kids,” the one-time Greek Super League winner concluded.
Ekong featured in Nigeria's two AFCON 2025 Qualifying games against Benin Republic and Rwanda, marking his return to the Super Eagles team after he missed the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in June.
