Hugo Ekitike has reflected on the start to his Liverpool career and his hopes for the second half of the season
Hugo Ekitike of Liverpool celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield(Image: 2025 Liverpool FC)
Hugo Ekitike is dreaming big as his first season with Liverpool continues to go from strength to strength. The France international took his tally for the Reds up to 10 when scoring a brace in Saturday’s 2-0 home victory over Brighton & Hove Albion.
Coming from 23 appearances, only Daniel Sturridge has scored more goals (eight) in his first 10 Premier League starts for Liverpool than the 23-year-old (seven). Back-to-back doubles against Leeds United and Brighton have seen Ekitike rocket up this season’s English top-flight scoring charts, too, with only Erling Haaland and Igor Thiago bettering his return.
But considering Ekitike’s own eye-catching performances have come amid the Reds’ own struggles, it has made the start to his Anfield career even more impressive.
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He is not resting on his laurels, though. He is adamant he can do more and wants to be the very best.
And not satisfied with the campaign so far, Ekitike is hopeful that Liverpool can use their struggles and turn it into something positive during the second half of the season.
“I know what people expect. I have my expectations too,” he said. “I’m just working on it to be as good as people expect me to be and I know I’m in a place I was dreaming to be.
“I’ve been to so many places and you always have something to reach. I think that’s what football is.
“I always think that football makes you tired physically but mentally, if you want to get to the top and do and achieve things, it’s always about again and again and again.
“Because if tomorrow I score a brace and I say, ‘I’m really good’, it stops. Obviously I want to be the best – that’s why I’m playing.
“But I know I have so much work, so many things to improve. But, of course, I want to be the best.
“A striker needs goals to be alive. Sometimes I don’t get an assist, I don’t get a goal but I know I make a good run for someone and he’s gonna score.
“And if I don’t do that, nothing is going to happen. If you don’t have pressure, if people don’t care, that means you’re not at the right place. I’m at the right place.”
He continued: “It’s not too easy. We need to struggle with everything we do, and maybe at the end it’s even more beautiful to win and achieve something.
“(It was) a great start, a really fast start. And then going back to reality… I tried to keep working for the team.
“Obviously I’m not happy about all the games I played, I think I could do better. In general I would say that was good, I can improve.
“I know I can bring a lot more to this team, but I’m definitely getting better and I’m sure I’m going to switch to a good season.
“I find it exciting. I’m just happy to be a part of it and obviously I want to be involved, be a big part of it and just help people and give joy.
“Because football, it’s also fun. It’s fun. People need to come and have fun, watching you and watching your team play. That’s what makes me like football.”
Liverpool beat the likes of Newcastle United and Manchester United to Ekitike’s signature in the summer in a deal worth up to £79m from Eintracht Frankfurt.
After joining the Reds, the Frenchman flew straight out to Hong Kong to meet up with his new team-mates on their pre-season tour of the Far East.
Arriving as they took part in an open training session in front of supporters, the reception he received from the crowd was an eye-opening experience.
“It was really good. When I first joined, I signed, I went straight to Hong Kong,” he recalled to Rubi Deschamps in the club’s latest ‘A Day With’ feature interview. “I arrived and went straight to join the team when they were training.
“I couldn’t even train with them but I was straight on the pitch and all these people were like, when they showed me on the screen, they were screaming.
“Obviously I knew it was big, coming to a big club, but I didn’t know it was that big. I was like, ‘Oh, that’s cool!’”
While he might have initially been taken aback by Liverpool’s side, Ekitike is at least well-versed in his Reds legends.
He was quick to greet the likes of Sir Kenny Dalglish following his arrival in Hong Kong, while supporters were quick to notice him wearing a retro ‘Steven Gerrard 28’ Liverpool away shirt during his summer holidays.
Ekitike insists the Reds’ present rather than past is what motivated him to move to Anfield, but that does not stop him from being a big fan of Liverpool’s legendary former captain.
“I wouldn’t say it (Liverpool’s past) drove me to sign because I’m looking at the team and how it was looking at that time,” he said. “But obviously I know about the legends of Liverpool!
“Even if you don’t support them, you know about them… I like Stevie G. Not because we play the same position because I can’t do what he was doing. But I see him as a legend, it’s more like aura farming.”