William Troost-Ekong: 11 Amazing facts about the highest-scoring defender in AFCON history
William Troost-Ekong, a Dutch-born Nigerian defender, was part of the legendary “oyinbo wall” that rose to become a fearsome centre-back pairing for the Super Eagles before captaining the team to second place in the African Cup of Nations in 2023.
Troost-Ekong’s club career saw him play in numerous European leagues before being named the best player at the 2023 AFCON. Since his senior international debut for Nigeria in 2015, he has 71 caps and represented the country in the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics. He retired from his international career in November 2025.
In this post, we will rapidly review the most important information concerning one of Nigeria’s most capped soccer players of all time.
Who is William Troost-Ekong?
William Troost-Ekong is a Nigerian footballer who presently captains the Super Eagles of Nigeria and plays centre defender for the Greek club PAOK. Troost-Ekong began his professional career in the Netherlands and has won over 70 caps for Nigeria, playing a crucial role in five international tournaments.
10 Facts About William Troost-Ekong
1. William Troost-Ekong is Nigerian and Dutch.
William Troost-Ekong, a defender for the Super Eagles of Nigeria, was born in Haarlem, Netherlands, to a mixed Dutch and Nigerian family. He was raised in his native Netherlands, and he has two siblings. The defender has a Nigerian father and a Dutch mother, making him eligible to play for both countries.
2. William Troost-Ekong’s State of Origin
Troost-Ekong is from Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, where his father is from. He was born in Haarlem, Netherlands, but his Nigerian origins are deep, and he is quite proud of his Nigerian background. His connection to Akwa Ibom extends beyond ancestry; he has been public about his affection for the state, even pledging his future national team wages to help football development there.
3. William Troost-Ekong Age
Troost-Ekong was born on September 1, 1993, and is currently 30 years old. This puts him in the peak of his career as a centre-back, a position that frequently relies on experience, leadership, and physical strength. Troost-Ekong’s expertise is evident in his role as captain of the Nigerian national team, which he has held for several years, and he is expected to remain an important figure for both club and country for many years to come.
4. Education in England.
Troost-Ekong attended Hockerill Anglo-European College in Bishop’s Stortford, England, for high school. This was due to his father’s unwillingness to allow him to play football, which he acquired a fondness for at a tender age. Instead, he wanted him to pursue a university degree in another field, so he sent him to a boarding school at the age of twelve.
However, the defender pursued football as a vocation, playing youth football in England for Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur alongside Harry Kane before beginning his senior career in the Netherlands with FC Groningen and FC Dordrecht.
5. William Troost-Ekong’s Father
Troost-Ekong’s father is a Nigerian from Akwa Ibom named Paul Ekong. His mother, Eleanore Troost, is Dutch, and he has two siblings: Emily and Everest.
William’s father was opposed to his pursuing football as a career, while his mother was completely supportive, causing conflict and ultimately leading to their split. The defender and his father also stopped communicating with one another as a result of his decision, finally reconciling after a decade when William competed in the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
6. Club Career
Troost-Ekong began playing senior club football in the Netherlands with Groningen, but a year-long loan to FC Dordrecht helped him establish himself at the senior level.
The defender moved to Gent in Belgium but struggled to find playing time, so he decided to go on a season-long loan to Haugesund in Norway, followed by a permanent move to Turkish club Bursaspor.
After a year in Turkey, he secured a move to a top-five European league, joining Italian Serie A club Udinese. In 2020, the defender moved to Watford in England, where he helped the Hornets win promotion to the English Premier League in his first season, although he then went on loan to Salernitana in Serie A. He recently signed for PAOK in Greece, where he now plays.
7. William Troost-Ekong abandoned Netherlands to represent Nigeria
Troost-Ekong pledged his international allegiance to Nigeria in 2015, despite having represented the Netherlands at the junior level from 2011 to 2013. He made his debut the same year he switched teams and quickly established himself as a key member of the Super Eagles’ defence. He was a member of Nigeria’s men’s football squad at the 2016 Olympics, where he won bronze.
Troost-Ekong has almost 70 caps for Nigeria, making him the second-most capped defender in the country’s history, and he has served as captain since 2021. He was a member of their squads for important competitions like the 2018 World Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 2019 and 2021, where Nigeria finished third. Despite losing to the Ivory Coast in the 2023 AFCON final, Troost-Ekong was voted tournament MVP.
8. Most Goals by a Defender in AFCON History.
Troost-Ekong has five goals at the AFCON, setting the record for the most goals scored by a defender in AFCON history. He scored three goals at the 2023 AFCON, having scored one in each of the 2019 and 2021 tournaments.
9. Salary and Net Worth
Troost-Ekong makes over $5 million a year playing at his current club, Greek side PAOK. This corresponds to almost £16,000 per week in his current deal, which runs until 2026. According to numerous sources, his current net worth is £4,877,600, with his football wage accounting for the majority of his wealth.
10. William Troost-Ekong’s wife
Troost-Ekong married his long-time love, Molly, in a private wedding in London in 2021. Celebrities who attended the wedding in the United Kingdom included Nigerian soccer stars Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi. The pair had been together for seven years before the wedding and welcomed their son, Oscar Ekong, in July 2018. Their relationship is also endowed with a daughter.
11. William Troost-Ekong’s Social Media
Troost-Ekong is available on Instagram. Visit him here @wtroostekong
