Troost-Ekong on playing with Osimhen and against Messi

Nigeria captain and Africa Cup of Nations player of the tournament William Troost-Ekong has revealed what makes Victor Osimhen a special player amid links with a Premier League move.

Since firing SSC Napoli to their first Serie A title in three decades during the 2022/23 seasons, star striker Osimhen has been heavily linked with a potential move to Chelsea, Manchester United, and Arsenal among others.

With Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis confirming that Osimhen is due to leave the club during the summer, rumours regarding the Nigerian international's next potential destination have ramped up significantly in recent months.

In an interview with 90min's 'Football's Climate Conversation' podcast, Troost-Ekong discussed what has made his international teammate one of the best, and most sought-after, strikers in world football.

"I think what's made him special is his work ethic, I've never seen something like it," Troost-Ekong explains. "He's relentless and he plays every game like it's the last game he's ever going to play.

"His physical attributes - speed, his power, how he jumps - make him very dangerous because you can never feel safe. I think he always tries to run after every ball, and then when he gets in the box he's a good finisher. I don't think he's a striker who is a very natural finisher, but if it's something that's a 50/50 or he has to stick his head out or his foot out then he definitely will."

Troost-Ekong also spoke about another world-class forward, Lionel Messi, choosing the legendary Argentine as the greatest player he's ever faced off against - having done so during the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

"It would have to be Messi at the World Cup. We lost 2-1, last minute, and he scored the first goal and it was something special," Troost-Ekong recalled.

"He took it over the shoulder with the back of his heel with his right foot, and I remember I felt like I almost wanted to clap - it was something special. And of course, when you see him as probably the greatest player of all time, to witness that, unfortunately being on the wrong side of it, it was something special.

"You're never in control [when one-v-one against Messi]. I did manage to get one or two blocks or tackles, I don't know if maybe that was just his bad moments, but for the rest of the game his reading - he walked around a lot - and was always in the right positions.

"Sometimes it looked like he wasn't involved in the game, but then when he was, he was someone that we couldn't stop so I think that's the hardest thing when someone's unpredictable and can do everything with the ball. I think that's what makes him special."

"I always wanted to be part of a footballing movement that would be good for the planet"