Ekong reveals assurance of playing time was key to Salernitana move
Nigeria defender William Troost-Ekong has revealed the assurance of playing time was key to his decision to leave Watford FC and join Salernitana in January.
Ekong in the final week of the winter transfer window returned to the Italian Serie A with Salernitana who were in hot search for defensive reinforcement.
In an interview with The Athletic, Super Eagles assistant skipper William Troost-Ekong said;
” Every time I’ve had a great opportunity to go to a club, which was a progression in my career, it’s always been a no-brainer.
“But it was a difficult choice because I really feel invested at Watford and I wanted to be part of the squad again to get promoted — I know what that felt like,” the 29-year-old center-back added.
“Salernitana did their best to give me a great opportunity to try to improve every aspect — playing time, economically, and an opportunity to play in a good league. You have to consider it.
“At the end of last season, having not really featured for the second half of the season, it was a conversation I had with the club about what I wanted to do.
“They were always very good on it and expressed that they wanted me to stay and I fought my way back into the team.
“I was enjoying my football initially under Rob Edwards and in games under Slaven Bilic up to the World Cup break.”
“Then I came back from the World Cup break in and out the team. I wasn’t 100 percent sure about why that happened, but that’s football.
“So then you start wondering again about what else is possible and there were different clubs sniffing.
“We got to January and it wasn’t necessarily in the plan but when I heard about the interest and the chance to come back to Italy to a club that’s ambitious and with a very good squad… I saw it as a great opportunity to play football again.
“I was ready for a new challenge. I also felt slightly undervalued at Watford and then you have to make a decision about your career,” Troost-Ekong concluded.
Ekong made a winning start to life with Salernitana in a 1-2 win at Leece to halt a winless run since October 2022.
