Troost-Ekong names Arsenal and Barca stars among favourite players; lauds Mikel, Lookman, Osimhen

Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has revealed some of his favourite footballers, naming Arsenal defender William Saliba, Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal, and Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk among those he enjoys watching.

Speaking in an interview with ESPN, the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations Player of the Tournament praised Saliba's defensive brilliance.

"I love watching William Saliba. From my perspective, I really think he's a really talented centre defender," Ekong said.

The former Tottenham Hotspur youth teamer also lauded Nigerian stars Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen, alongside emerging talents in Europe.

"Virgil van Dijk and Lamine Yamal are very exciting. Ademola Lookman and lastly Victor Osimhen," he added.

When asked who he considers Nigeria's greatest footballer, Troost-Ekong acknowledged legendary figures like Austin 'Jay-Jay' Okocha but tipped Victor Osimhen to surpass them.

"Automatically, you want to talk about Jay Jay Okocha and those kinds of players.

"I have to stick with my generation. I think Victor Osimhen has the potential to be the best player we will see in the Nigerian shirt," he stated.

The 31-year-old defender also reserved special praise for former Chelsea midfielder John Mikel Obi, describing him as an underrated talent.

"I loved playing with John Mikel Obi. I think he is very underrated. When I played with him at the Olympics, he played as a number 10. 

"The Super Eagles, played as a number 10, and then you really saw his talent and maybe why he got signed at Chelsea at the age he did."

The experienced defender reiterated his ambition to lift the Africa Cup of Nations trophy with Nigeria, following in the footsteps of legends like Jay-Jay Okocha and John Mikel Obi.

Looking ahead to the continuation of the 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers, Ekong expressed his determination to help secure Nigeria's qualification for the tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Adeyemi Adewale

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