Former Watford and Birmingham City striker Troy Deeney has labelled William Troost-Ekong as ‘insecure' following his comments after Nigeria's 4-1 win over Gabon, Soccernet.ng reports.
Ekong and Deeney were club teammates during the 2020/2021 EFL Championship season, but surprisingly were never on the pitch at the same time.
CBS Pundit Michael Lahoud kick-started an attack on the leadership qualities of the Super Eagles captain, claiming he only talks off the pitch, not on it.
“William Troost-Ekong hasn't stepped up as a leader. He's a social media leader. He's tweeted things,” the 39-year-old said.
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“The biggest thing he's done in terms of leadership was when they had the debacle in Libya when they were left at the airport.
“He did the press conferences, but on the field, he's done zero talking. He hasn't led from the back, so at the end of the day, Nigeria needs to do the talking on the pitch.
Deeney also tore into Ekong, claiming he doesn't have the nastiness to knock down on doors regarding the requests of the Nigerian team from the Federation.
The former Watford defender, following the Super Eagles' 4-1 win over Gabon, revealed Deeney's comments took him by surprise, since the retired striker could've just given him a phone call.
“To be honest, I was slightly disappointed because I supported him when he was the captain at Watford. I’ve also gone on to captain Watford myself.
“He could have just picked up the phone and called me. If he didn’t respect me, maybe he should take away the Nigeria shirt I gave him — maybe it’s on his wall somewhere. But I don’t want to talk about it too much.
Deeney describes Troost-Ekong as insecure
The former Birmingham City striker didn't have any caps for the England senior team during his days as an active footballer, but he's now hit back at his ex-teammate's comments following Nigeria's win over Gabon.
Deeney claims Ekong spelling out his achievements is insecure, and his decision to do post-match interviews justifies Lahoud's statements about the defender not being a leader on the pitch.
“What did I say that's not respectful? I've said exactly what it is. He's a good kid,” the 37-year-old told TalkSPORTS.
“He did give me a shirt, because I collect shirts. It's a weird one.
“If I remotely cared about giving him a call, I would, but I don't. I could call Will [Ekong]; he's a good kid.
“In my opinion, when it comes to those situations with the federation, you do need to be a bit nasty, you need to be horrible, and I don't think I saw that character from him at Watford.
“The one thing I would say is that he's given Michael Lahoud credit, because Michael said he would go out and do all that press, playing into his narrative.
“You know what happens when someone tells the truth? It hurts.
“So, if I offended you, Will, deal with it. Crack on. If I were remotely disrespectful, I would do it the right way because you know me.
“Secondly, if you had to tell people how many caps you've had and all that stuff you're doing, you're not that secure in yourself.
“Just chill. Nigeria won. Don't talk about us; let us do the media stuff, you do your podcast. Love you and see you soon,” Deeney concluded.
Up next for the Super Eagles of Nigeria is a clash against DR Congo at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdallah in Rabat, Morocco, tomorrow. Kick-off time is slated for 8:00 PM WAT.
