William Troost-Ekong reflects on first season in Saudi Arabia

Nigeria national team captain William Troost-Ekong has reflected on his first season in the Saudi Pro League, describing his time spent so far with Al-Kholood as a positive and competitive experience.

Troost Ekong gives Al-Kholood the lead against Al-Ettifaq🔥🔥

Capitanø 🫡💚pic.twitter.com/zE4obyWyCt

— Official AGT⚽🎙️ (@Iam_agt) February 1, 2025

Troost-Ekong played a key role in Al-Kholood’s fight against relegation. The former Watford player said he has enjoyed every bit of experience in Saudi Arabia. Speaking with Flashscore, the 31-year-old acknowledged that the league was different from other leagues he had played.

“Playing in Saudi Arabia is a different experience and it’s nice being part of a project with big names and successful players. I think the Saudi Pro League is competitive; you see, the names that are playing there in my first game were Benzema, Kante, and Fabinho, players that are world-level.”

The Al-Kholood captain added that he had personally enjoyed his first season with the club and learning about the local culture.

“I’ve enjoyed my first season with my team. We finished in the middle of the table. For the first season in the top-flight, it is something special and I look forward to continuing the journey next season. As a captain of the team, I’ll learn more about the football culture in Saudi Arabia.”

The centre-back joined Noureddine Zekri’s side from Greek club AEK Athens last summer. Troost-Ekong scored twice in 32 league appearances for the club who finished ninth place in the 18-team league.