Troost-Ekong Reveals How England Captain Kane Helped Him At Tottenham Hotspur

Published: June 01, 2018

Super Eagles defensive stalwart William Troost-Ekong has revealed how England scoring sensation Harry Kane helped him at Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur during his time with the Academy.

Dutch-born Ekong departed Spurs in 2013 without a single first team appearance to his name while Kane ranks among the best strikers in the world at the moment and is an important member of The Lilywhites first-team and will captain the Three Lions at this summer's World Cup.

Kane assisted Ekong fill out his registration forms when the Nigerian was a fresh-faced scholar at Tottenham Hotspur.

''He was one of the first guys that sat me down and helped me. It’s amazing to see how well he has done,'' Troost-Ekong told Telegraph UK.

Troost-Ekong represented the Netherlands at U19 and U20 level before he committed his international future to Nigeria.

''You have to go where you are loved, where you are appreciated. It is more appealing for younger players.

''It is opening doors for foreign-born Nigerians, and I think there are going to be more to follow. Nigeria is a giant of African football,'' he explained.

The 24-year-old Ekong is expected to partner Leon Balogun in central defense in the Super Eagles meeting with England on Saturday.

Igho Kingsley