William Troost-Ekong, a well travelled player, has revealed that all the countries where he’s plied his trade were “pleasantly surprising” and after completing a transfer to Saudi Pro League’s Al Kholood last summer, Saudi Arabia wasn’t any different, Footynaija.com reports.
In a professional career that has spanned over 14 years, the Super Eagles captain has played in eight different countries including England, the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Turkey, Italy, Greece and Saudi Arabia.
Troost-Ekong most recently enjoyed success in the Greek Super League with PAOK Thessaloniki before deciding to take his talents to the Saudi Pro League where he has since established himself as a key player for Al Kholood.
Describing his experience in Saudi Arabia in a recent interview with Ar Rass, the Nigeria international revealed that he was pleasantly surprised at how welcoming the people of the Middle-East nation have been.
What William Troost-Ekong said about his experience in Saudi Arabia
“I’m not a very judgmental person; I always like to form my own opinions. I’ve been quite lucky to play in different countries, and all the places have always pleasantly surprised me,” he said as per quotes revealed by One Football.
“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.
“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.
“It’s given me a lot 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.”
Troost-Ekong racked up 32 appearances in his first season in the Saudi Pro League. The Super Eagles skipper scored two goals and assisted another to help Al Kholood to a ninth place finish.