When Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong, who announced his retirement on Thursday, stepped out in Nigeria colours for the first time on June 13, 2015, he started a journey that would make foreign-born players feel home-grown.
Troost Ekong was born in the Netherlands and played for the Dutch youth international sides, but then accumulated 83 Nigeria appearances, became highest scoring AFCON defender ever with five goals, won AFCON MVP, won AFCON silver and bronze, and became an Olympic medallist.
The Al Kholood defender's retirement is a huge blow for the Super Eagles ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations later this month, removing one of their most experienced players and leaders as they look to make up for missing FIFA World Cup qualification.
Now, 10 years and six months since his debut, the defender has ended his career as one of the most accomplished Super Eagles players of his generation, and one who has become a trailblazer for diaspora players in the squad.
It is an identity -- being born in the diaspora but still one hundred percent Nigerian -- that Troost-Ekong embraces fully.
"Born in the diaspora, I am so proud to be part of a group that fully showed it is possible to come home to play and represent our nation," he said in his retirement statement.
Troost-Ekong erased the lines between diaspora-born Super Eagles and home-grown counterparts. He immersed himself in the culture, belted out the national anthem with as much if not more gusto, battled as hard as anyone on the field, and finally stepped away on his own terms, earning the respect of his teammates, opponents and fans alike.
"From a boy born and raised in the Netherlands, to the Oyibo Wall and eventually Skippo is a privilege I will always hold close to my heart," he said.
"To have achieved 83 senior caps, played in five major tournaments, won three medals, and broken a few records - I have lived my dream."
Nigeria's history with diaspora-born and raised players is complicated. On the one hand, fans want the federation to call up any player with a drop of Nigerian blood anywhere in the world. On the other hand, when results do not go as expected, they take the brunt of the criticism for not being home-grown.
Still, diaspora-grown players have been part of the Nigeria set up since Tunji Banjo in the 80s, Reuben Agboola in the 90s, Osaze Odemwingie in the early 2000s and now the recent explosion of the current generation.
By rising all the way from shy youngster when he joined the squad, and growing to become not only a consistent stalwart and team leader - forming one half of the self-christened Oyibo Wall with Leon Balogun, but going all the way to be Super Eagles captain, Troost-Ekong has broken the mould for diaspora players and set the stage for the future.
"I think the decision to play for Nigeria has to be the best ever for me," the defender told BBC Sport.
"We have some amazing and talented players in Nigeria and to get a chance to play for a great country like ours is an honour and immense privilege."
And committed he was. The defender did not earn those may caps by sitting around. He did it by answering every call when he was healthy, and said there was no other way to do it: "You cannot force anyone to choose Nigeria, you must love the country and be committed to it or you don't bother."
From the beginning, Troost-Ekong's talent was never in doubt. In his first game, he formed a centreback partnership with Kenneth Omeruo, with Balogun deployed at right back, as Nigeria defeated Chad 2-0 in Kaduna.
Subsequently, his centreback partnership with Balogun became the foundation of an defence that was tough to breach, leading to the self-coined Oyibo Wall moniker.
And when he was needed to represent Nigeria at the Olympic Games in 2016, there was no hesitation, culminating in a bronze medal despite the hiccups the team had to go through.
There has also been some tough moments, like that home loss against Central African Republic where he was beaten for pace, or the upset elimination by Tunisia at the 2021 AFCON.
But overall, his career has been one that has seen more ups than downs.
Leaving on a high
Although there had been rumours of his retirement swirling, Troost-Ekong's announcement came as a surprise to the football community, not just in Nigeria. Just days before, the defender had been named to Nigeria's provisional squad for AFCON in Morocco this month.
Even though he appeared to have lost his starting spot in the team, with youngster Benjamin Fredricks emerging as the new force in recent games, Troost-Ekong was widely expected to finish his career after this AFCON, especially with the young defender ruled out with injury.
After his record-breaking heroics at the last edition, displacing the legendary Stephen Keshi to become the tournament's highest scoring defender ever with five goals and claiming MVP honours, the Nigeria captain was widely expected to call time on his career then.
But he held on, as his leadership was needed for both the AFCON and ultimately unsuccessful World Cup qualifiers.
Nigeria players rarely ever announce official international retirements. They usually hang on and on until they get less and less call-ups and eventually none. And then they sort of retire by default. Not Troost-Ekong. He choose to do it with class, and the professionalism that has defined his international career.
How will it impact the Super Eagles?
Although Troost-Ekong's contributions on the field have waned somewhat, his influence in the dressing room has remained as strong as ever.
This means that, if anything, his departure comes at a timely moment for the team, allowing the coach to blood in younger players, like Ryan Alebiosu, for instance, who received his first call up to the provisional squad.
With CAF mandating only 18 players for the matchday squad, each team will be looking to maximize personnel, and Troost-Ekong's departure allows coach Eric Sekou Chelle to do just that.
But further down the line, it should serve as the catalyst for a long overdue retooling of the Super Eagles. Two consecutive World Cup qualification failures have led to questions being asked of the current players, and changes are long overdue.
From a leadership point of view, the mantle appears to be falling to Wilfred Ndidi, who has led the team while Ekong has been out of the starting line up. He would probably be expected to continue in the role, with the likes of Alex Iwobi and Moses Simon also in the mix. There is a twist in the tale, though.
Ahmed Musa has not officially announced his international retirement despite being player/GM at Kano Pillars, neither has he been officially derecognized as captain. So technically, he remains the captain, which means there could be some complication there.
What's next for Troost-Ekong?
In his retirement note, Troost-Ekong said: "This isn't a final goodbye. My work within the Nigerian communities continues, just as my love and passion for this team will never fade."
There is a suggestion that part of the work will include being in the Nigeria contingent to AFCON, where he will bring his experience and leadership to bear to help the team. Neither the player nor Federation have said anything official in that regard.
What is more certain however, is the work he does off the pitch. The defender, through his Troost Ekong Foundation, has been giving back to communities across the country, and he looks poised to continue to do so.
More long term, however, it appears he will be looking in an administrative direction, as he said in an interview with the Saudi Pro League, saying he has been getting tips from former Super Eagles defender Michael Emenalo.
He said: "[Michael's] background as a player, especially as a Super Eagles player, what he achieved at Chelsea, at Monaco, and now in the SPL, is something special, something you don't see very often.
"When we had a chance to meet, it was great to pick his brain, understand the process, how things work here. Who knows, maybe in the future I'd like to have a similar role beyond football.
"So he's been great to really help me with that. He's encouraging me to do more and to continue to play my best football.