William Troost-Ekong: Super Eagles defender joins Mata to donate 1% of salary to charity Common Goal

Common Goal is an in initiative where players pledge 1% of their wages to a collective fund.

Super Eagles defender William Troost-Ekong has joined Spanish midfielder Juan Mata in a cause to donate one percent of his salary to charity Common Goal.

Ekong who plays for Turkish outfit Bursaspor has joined the initiative which is driven by football players and managers to give a percent of their salaries to good causes around the world.

The 24-year-old becomes the 43rd member of Common Goal, joining fellow professionals such as Leicester City’s Kasper Schmeichel, Borussia Dortmund’s Shinji Kagawa, and several others.

Manchester United midfielder Mata co-founded Common Goal with Jürgen Griesbeck in a bid to get professional footballers and other football-related personalities give towards charity. 

The goal of the initiative by Mata is to use football as a tool to tackle social issues, by getting players to pledge a minimum of 1% of their wages to a collective fund, which will be allocated to football charities worldwide.

Ekong took to his Instagram account to announce that he has joined Common Goal.

The 24-year-old defender revealed that his decision to join Common Goal was a decisive moment in his career.

“I’m aware that I’m a role model for children and football fans, and having traveled the world I’ve seen the impact that we have on people’s lives. It’s our responsibility, as players, to use that in a positive way,"  he said in a statement

 

Common Goal founder Jürgen Griesbeck expressed his delight with having Ekong aboard.

He said, “We are delighted that William is joining Common Goal. Not just because he is a fantastic player, but because he is a fantastic person,”

“William and all of our players recognize the importance of aligning with a shared vision and using their status as footballers, to make the world a better place.” He said.