By Taiwo Ibrahim
Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has opened up on his decision to retire from international football, Sportivationng.com reports.
Ekong announced his retirement in a post on Instagram on Thursday, bringing an end to his 10-year association with the national team.
He wrote: “Honoured. Grateful. Forever a Super Eagle. Playing for Nigeria has been the greatest privilege of my life.
“The journey may end here, but my support never will. Here’s to the next chapter.”
The 32-year-old revealed the reasons behind his decision to end his sojourn with the national team, he was hoping for a last chance saloon to play at the World Cup.
Ekong informed his Super Eagles teammates about his decision to retire after the heartbreaking defeat to DR Congo in the World Cup playoffs, a defeat which contributed to his decision.
Troost-Ekong said: “I would dream big, bigger than other people believed in me or thought was possible.
“But to go in this direction with Nigeria, and be part of everything I have, I would not have been able to write it down. I’ve managed to live beyond my wildest dreams.”
“You always want things to end perfectly. It’s hard when you are watching the last minutes of the game. It felt like a blur.
“I remember sitting there and absorbing those last minutes, because you know that could be it. To have that in a penalty shootout, my heart was pounding like crazy.
“It was heartbreaking, but at the same time I felt really proud in that moment of everything we had achieved. To be there, as captain, was something I could not have dreamt of as a young kid.” He told Standard Sport.
Ekong is confident that the team’s next generation of players are ready to lead the country.
He said: “Now is the moment for them to claim that,” he says. “The team is ready because we’ve got great leaders.
“I think there is a natural progression and there is an art in knowing when to step away.
“Selfishly, I would have loved to lift the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and play at one more World Cup.
“But the thing that has given me the most joy now is I get messages from young boys saying they want to play for the Super Eagles.
The former Watford defender has tipped the Super Eagles to win the tournament while promising to keep supporting the team.
He concluded: “I will be just as passionate, but probably a lot more nervous. Because when you are not playing, you can’t affect anything,” he says.
“It’s going to be really strange. I’m probably going to be screaming at my TV!
“But I’ll be proud seeing the players out there and I really hope they win it. That would be a nice moment to crown our generation. I’d still feel part of that.
“Nigerian football is so close to my heart. It will always be a part of me”.
Troost-Ekong made 83 appearances for Nigeria after he was handed his debut by the late Stephen Keshi in a 2-0 win over Chad in 2015. He scored nine goals for Nigeria.
He played his final match for the team after coming off the bench against Gabon in the World Cup playoffs semi-final.
Troost-Ekong represented Nigeria at five major tournaments including the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, and three Nations Cup tournaments.
He was part of the Dream Team VI that won bronze at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.
