Troost-Ekong: On embracing Saudi, charity work, life after football & Nigeria AFCON aim

Spend time in the company of William Troost-Ekong and it quickly becomes clear why he’s the captain not only of his club, Roshn Saudi League side Al Kholood, but his country, too.

The Nigeria international is engaging and erudite, the result no doubt of a wanderlust that has carried his professional career to eight countries. And while it has for sure furthered his footballing development, it has gone some way, as well, to sating an inherently inquisitive nature.

“It's given me great experiences,” Troost-Ekong explains in a sit-down interview with the Saudi Pro League in Ar Rass, his current home. “Football is the thing that connects people.

"It's what’s always made me feel welcome wherever I've been, whether that has been playing for my club or also all the travelling I've done with the national team. 

“I've learned different languages; speak four or five now. Not Arabic yet, but that's something that I'll try and work on in the next years. It's just been a great way to understand different cultures. I try to make that my power.”

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It’s a large part of why Saudi Arabia appealed when, last summer, Al Kholood came calling. In fairness, there was no shortage of offers, interest peaking following Troost-Ekong’s performances at the Africa Cup of Nations. After Nigeria finished runner-up, he was named Player of the Tournament.

In the end, Troost-Ekong came to an agreement with Al Kholood, the RSL debutants who had tracked him throughout the window. So, in August, he left behind a seventh country of residence and headed for the Kingdom.

The decision-making process was smoothed by the fact he could call upon sturdy sounding boards. Chief among them Odion Ighalo, the fabled Nigerian striker, a veritable RSL veteran at Al Wehda having enjoyed major success at Al Hilal before moving to Mecca.

Picking Ighalo’s brain made sense.

“He was my teammate in the Super Eagles, who's obviously well known here and understands the landscape, the culture, the league,” Troost-Ekong says. “So I tried to get as much information as I could.

“But it was as new for me from the first day that I landed here in Qassim at the airport and made my way over Ar Rass. And I haven’t looked back since.”

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Rather, Troost-Ekong has looked within, both to understand, and then embrace, the Saudi people and their way of living.

“I'm not a very judgmental person; I always like to form my own opinions,” he says. "I've been quite lucky to play in different countries, and all the places have always pleasantly surprised me.

“The biggest thing is that people really embrace you when you come here. I've made some great Saudi friends as much as I have my teammates who are from other countries.

“From the moment I came here, they took me out to dinner, took me to drink coffee together with them. People have just been very welcoming.”

In reciprocation, Troost-Ekong has welcomed the change.

Having lived previously in bustling hubs such as London and Turkey's Bursa, he admits Ar Rass is a little more laidback. Yet, as he's done throughout his career, he’s adapted.

Understandably, Troost-Ekong misses his wife and three young children who have remained in the English capital, but the quieter existence has allowed him time to develop. And, true to the enriching experience of his multi-country career thus far, that applies both professionally and personally.

“It's given me more time to focus on our job here and really try to develop myself, not just on the pitch, but also the time that I have now," Troost-Ekong says.

“It's given me a lot of more free time to explore and also work on other things off the pitch, like my charity for example, or other business things. It’s been a good experience.”

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In addition to what Troost-Ekong brought to Al Kholood’s successful debut season in the RSL – the new boys finished a brilliant ninth in their inaugural campaign in Saudi's lead division – the defender tries to implement that work ethic and those leadership skills outside the pro game also.

There’s the aforementioned charity, the Troost-Ekong Foundation, a gallant and gratifying endeavour. A nonprofit organisation designed to empower Nigerian and African youth through football and education, it was launched in March last year.

Fifteen months on, the importance Troost-Ekong places in making a difference is obvious.

“Nigeria has always been somewhere very special to me,” he says. “Whenever I started playing for the national team and [with] the amount of love that I got from the fans [and] the people, I was really keen to try and do something back that was meaningful to create opportunity.

"My dream and long-term vision is that the best players will have an opportunity to come and play in the [RSL] or in Europe.

“And that's also one of the reasons why, on platforms like LinkedIn and others, when I get to meet people, it's my responsibility to form those connections and to work together for them to have a brighter future.

“And, if we can have some children that have an education that come from the foundation or have a football career or sporting career, then that'll be a success for us.”

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As his peregrine playing career attests, Troost-Ekong is big on broadening horizons. His YouTube channel, introduced in 2021 during the Covid pandemic, has comfortably more than 100,000 subscribers.

Initially, it was conceived to give fans an insight into life as Nigeria captain. Now the behind-the-scenes content sheds light, too, on what it takes to succeed in the Saudi top flight.

Blogging on LinkedIn serves a similar function, with the added value of deepening that network Troost-Ekong references, connecting Africa and more specifically Nigeria, the UK and Europe to what’s happening in the Kingdom and the wider Middle East.

“It’s my idea to utilise that more and think about the time that will come after my football career,” he says.

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Although only 31, Troost-Ekong is casting the mind to what comes next. Fortunately, he doesn’t have to look too far for inspiration.

In Michael Emenalo, the former Nigeria international now Chief Football Executive at the Saudi Pro League, he has a compatriot and, when needed, a confidant to bounce ideas off.

“Michael is another person that I'll put down as maybe my modern idols now,” says Troost-Ekong, who names a plethora of former coaches, headlined by Nigerian Stephen Keshi, as influences.

“[Michael's] background as a player, especially as a Super Eagles player, what he achieved at Chelsea, at Monaco, and now in the SPL, is something special, something you don't see very often.

“When we had a chance to meet, it was great to pick his brain, understand the process, how things work here. Who knows, maybe in the future I'd like to have a similar role beyond football.

"So he’s been great to really help me with that. He’s encouraging me to do more and to continue to play my best football. And it's great to have people like him involved in a project, which just adds to and validates what everyone's doing here.

"It's only going to help improve the standard year-by-year, because someone like Michael understands what it takes to run football at the highest level. And he's doing his best to implement that here, too.”

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In more ways than one, Troost-Ekong is already playing his part in the league’s progression. Other than adding his quality on the pitch, he acts as something of an ambassador, always ready to offer advice to anyone viewing the Kingdom as their next port of call.

“It's an opportunity they should seriously consider,” the centre-back says. “We have some of the best players in the world here now, and it's only going to get better… become more competitive.

"There's maybe a misconception of how the league is and how tough it is. People can't underestimate how difficult it can be to play here, to get results as a team.

“But I'll definitely encourage any player, whether it's my Nigeria teammates or players that call me almost on a weekly basis to find out what it's like here, to come.

“If they're good enough, then everyone will be happy because it'll improve the league. And, as to how I see the projection for what's happening here, it's that this is going to be one of the most competitive leagues in years to come.” 

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The rest of this year looks promising, as well. There's a second season in the RSL to contend, one set to be even more competitive considering the roster of clubs has been embroidered by three promoted teams - Al Kholood will compete for Ar Rass bragging rights against rivals Al Najmah - and the summer transfer window.

Late on, there's the 2025 AFCON in Morocco. Beaten finalists last time by a Cote D'Ivoire inspired by Al Ahli midfielder Franck Kessie, Troost-Ekong is determined to go one better. That he could do so while sporting the armband only fuels the fire even more.

“It’s one of my biggest honours; definitely the biggest honour in my career,” he says. “But also in life, maybe besides fatherhood and family life, it's something that I am really proud of.

“Of course, that comes with responsibility. Nigeria is a massive football nation that produces talent on the incredible scale. A nation that's also probably underperformed over the years, seeing how much talent they have.

“I’m really enjoying all the experience that I've had and trying to contribute the best I can. And especially with the crop of players that we've got now, which are extremely talented.

“Our focus is to win the next AFCON and be at the [2026 FIFA] World Cup. We came very close last year with AFCON, and that's an experience we all learned from. But, like I said, now for me to be the captain is something very special.”

The upcoming AFCON therefore offers Troost-Ekong another opportunity, like the charity initiatives or the YouTube channel or the LinkedIn profile, to honour the platform he has been provided.

"I work very hard here at the club to try and make sure that I'm in my best form to get selected and then continue on the journey I'm on," he says. "Having a connection with the fans is the beauty in football… they're the people that we do it for, the people that live every moment with us.

“Especially in Nigeria, where football transcends the sport; it's something that brings so much happiness to people. Belief unites the country, the moments that we are together. I always want people to understand that, first and foremost, I'm also a Nigeria fan.

“The love we get when we play at home and when we can do our best is something that I've never experienced in my career before. That’s something that, again, I’m very proud of. We do our best to have as many joyous moments with them - we are working on that as well for this year.”