Hugo Ekitike has mentioned that his notion of 1 Liverpool teammate has modified since coming to Anfield in the summertime.
The Frenchman joined the Reds from Eintracht Frankfurt in July for an preliminary £69m (The Athletic) and has loved a robust begin to his time on Merseyside, with 5 targets in his first 9 matches for LFC (though the most recent of these preceded a weird sending-off towards Southampton).
It makes him the highest scorer for Arne Slot’s facet within the early weeks of the season, a mantle which lately has nearly all the time been held by Mo Salah, who’s been the topic of some insightful feedback from the 23-year-old summer season arrival.
Ekitike opens up about Salah off the pitch
Talking to Kelly Somers for The Soccer Interview (by way of BBC Sport), Ekitike was requested what it’s wish to play alongside the Egyptian King.
He replied: “Actually good. Mo is a extremely cool man. He’s actually open with me and is actually good to speak too. He’s nice to play with.
“I used to be watching him on TV when he was scoring the targets and stuff however he’s a extremely nice athlete. You possibly can simply enhance your self and study from him. It’s good to share the pitch with him and I hope we’re going to rating a number of targets and convey some wins to the crew collectively.”
Ekitike additionally admitted that his notion of Salah as an individual off the pitch has modified since coming to Liverpool, outlining: “He’s very cool. Extra cool than what I’ve seen on TV as a result of typically you see straight face and stuff so I believed he was chilly… somebody who doesn’t discuss rather a lot.
“He’s actually open, like all the guys right here. They’re actually open and wish me to adapt to the crew.”
Ekitike has a world-class position mannequin alongside him in Salah
Salah is famend for steering away from post-match media interactions as a lot as potential, therefore the shock final season every time he stopped to speak to reporters within the combined zone amid the uncertainty over his contract scenario earlier than it was lastly resolved in April.
Maybe that’s what fuelled Ekitike’s preliminary perception of the Egyptian as a distant, aloof determine away from the pitch, however it appears clear that the 23-year-old’s notion has modified since coming to Anfield.
Though Liverpool’s quantity 11 mightn’t have been as prolific as traditional within the early weeks of the present marketing campaign, historical past means that he’ll break the 20-goal barrier but once more. His absence for the Africa Cup of Nations will make that more durable, however it’d be silly to again towards him doing so.
Salah is a world celebrity who, not like another footballers of equal on-field stature, isn’t an individual who brazenly seeks the limelight. The one headlines he’s serious about making relate to what he does on matchday for the Reds.
Even when he and Ekitike solely get to be teammates for a few years (the Egyptian’s contract expires in 2027, when he’ll be 35), our summer season arrival can study a lot from one of many best goalscorers this membership has ever had.
