Ex-Herthan regular in Ghent
13 German professionals play in the Belgian Jupiler Pro League, the most valuable of them is Jordan Torunarigha with a market value of 5 million euros. The former Hertha BSC defender has been with KAA Gent for a year and a half and was one of the players with the most minutes last season. “I’ve played very regularly and a lot this season. That was very good for me because it wasn’t always the case in previous years,” said the 25-year-old in an interview with Transfermarkt.
Torunarigha made 45 appearances in all competitions, ten of them at international level, and contributed three goals and three assists. By way of comparison, his previous personal best was 22 games as a professional in a season, set in 2021/22 when he spent the first half of the season at Hertha and was then loaned out to Gent. Last summer, the “Buffalo” signed Torunarigha for 3 million euros, making it one of the most expensive purchases in the club’s history.
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“The season went by faster at Hertha because I didn’t play regularly from the start. But this time it felt long and was fun,” says the left-footed player. Due to the many missions, it was of course a greater burden, but he still feels really good in terms of his fitness. Torunarigha had repeatedly struggled with absentees in Berlin and missed a total of 34 games in his six years as a professional. This season, too, he was not completely spared from the bad luck with injuries, but it was only minor injuries or precautionary measures that prevented him from being included in the squad eight times. Torunarigha says: “I take better care of my body by changing my diet and additional training in order to be in top shape. For example, I drink a lot more water, which helps.”
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The defensive specialist sees numerous failures in the team as the reason for the unsatisfactory performance this season. “We had bad luck with injuries.” Sometimes there were only twelve of them on the pitch. Gent missed the goal of the championship round in the regular season, instead, as in the previous year, the playoffs were about participation in the European Cup – in this the ticket for the Conference League was solved confidently. “The season was okay, but we could have done better. It was always up and down, we drew too often (9 times; ed.),” says Torunarigha. Ultimately, he gives this season the school grade “satisfactory” or “sufficient”.
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About himself he says: “I would say that I played at a good level the whole time here in Gent. I also showed at Hertha that I can play in the Bundesliga. I am absolutely convinced of that. I didn’t really have the chance to show myself properly at the time. At Gent they show me a really high level of respect and they see me as a very important part of the team and as a leader on the field.”
Born in Chemnitz, he is certain that the move to Gent was the right decision: “I supposedly took a step back, but I definitely made some progress and have developed further through the many minutes and the great trust in me.” The experience in Belgium is good “to see how the clubs work abroad”. Torunarigha emphasizes: “Even if the league does not seem as attractive as a top 5 league, I would advise every young player to move to Belgium. It could be a stepping stone, there are a lot of good players here.”
When he moved, Torunarigha signed a contract until 2025. It is clear that one day he should be back in a top 5 league: “I want to continue this season, continue to improve and definitely at a higher level at some point play. Of course I have goals for my career that I want to achieve. That’s what I work for every day.” The 1.91 meter tall defender used to set himself goals such as taking part in the Champions League and World Cup, but that’s different now: “I let everything come my way and live in the now, so I do it I stress less. It’s better if I don’t have in mind that I’ll have to play here and there soon.”
The World Cup could one day work out, because on Monday it was announced that ex-DFB junior Torunarigha will play for the Nigerian national team in the future. According to his management, the necessary documents have been submitted to FIFA and coach José Peseiro is set to nominate him for the international matches in September. “My father (Ojokojo; ed.) already played for the Nigerian national team, so it makes me really happy that I can follow in their footsteps,” says Torunarigha, who took part in the 2021 Olympic Games with the DFB .
Should a club submit an interesting offer, Torunarigha sees this as a “great opportunity” – for himself personally to take the “next step”, but also for Ghent. Dorsch found his way to the Bundesliga via Gent when he moved to Augsburg in 2021 for 7 million euros. The most expensive sale in the club’s history is Jonathan David, who moved to Lille in 2020 for €27m.
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Although Torunarigha has not been with Hertha for a year and a half, the connection to his long-standing club is still strong. The fact that the Berliners were relegated to the Bundesliga after ten years had something to do with the homegrown talent: “I watched every game at home. When Hertha conceded the goal against Bochum (33rd matchday; ed.) to relegation, I was sad. I would never have expected such a club to be relegated with this squad.” It was nevertheless foreseeable. For example, Torunarigha maintains good contact with striker Jessic Ngankam. “I had to comfort him a little,” he says. “He was devastated.” Torunarigha hopes “that Hertha will rise again straight away. It’s going to be tough, but if they can keep a lot of players and also work with talent, then I think they’ll make it.”
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