Super Eagles defender William Troost-Ekong has revealed the reasons behind his move to the Saudi Pro League, admitting it was a decision he didn’t initially consider.
The 30-year-old defender, who was playing for Greek champions PAOK, opened up about the transfer to Saudi Arabian club Al Khalood during a recent interview on The Counter Attack Podcast.
“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 were 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 Watford man said.
After the AFCON, where he was named the Player of the Tournament after leading the Eagles to a second-place finish, Troost-Ekong began hearing transfer rumors, with particular interest from Saudi clubs.
“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,” he explained.
The decision to join the Saudi Pro League, he said, was not only based on football but also on securing his future and considering his family’s needs.
“I made my mind up that it was something I wanted to do if the offer was right, but at the same time, everybody talks about the opportunity you have there to guarantee your future, to think about my family, kids,” the one-time Greek Super League winner concluded.