Hugo Ekitike has quickly made himself a hero to the Liverpool fanbase after hitting the ground running this season.
The Frenchman’s arrival had been somewhat overshadowed by that of Alexander Isak, but as the Swede struggles to get going, Ekitike has thrived.
10 goals in his first 23 Liverpool appearances is incredibly promising, and has meant it has been easy for supporters to fall in love with Ekitike the player.
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However, the 23-year-old also appears to be an interesting character away from the actual football.
This week, Ekitike appeared in a ‘Day in the Life’ video produced by LFCTV, and after watching what he had to say about his new home and the people he shares it with, Liverpool supporters will start to love him even more.
Hugo Ekitike embraces Liverpudlian culture
By now, most Liverpool fans will have found Ekitike’s second, ‘burner’ Instagram account. There, the France international gives a closer peek into his personality.
Down to earth yet a little bit wacky, Ekitike clearly has plenty to say. And when given the opportunity to display who he is for the watching supporters, he hailed the Scouse accent and how it is misconceived from the outside.
Hugo Ekitike points to the Liverpool badge after scoring against Brighton in the Premier League at Anfield.
Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images
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“Be a Scouser, I understand,” Ekitike told presenter Rubi Deschamps. “I talk with Curtis,” he added, before admitting his struggles to understand both Andy Robertson and Conor Bradley.
“From outside I was thinking ‘oh, that’s not really a beautiful language [accent].’ But now that I’m here and I’m listening to you, I feel like outside people don’t understand how cool this language is.”
“I love Scouse,” Ekitike later declared when arriving at Crosby Beach to take a closer look at the ‘Iron Men’ sculptures dotted along the coast. Asked how he knew about the art installation, the striker said his mum had been joining him in learning about the culture around Liverpool.
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“My mum, she came here before the international break,” he said. “She came here on the beach and said there is a lot of men standing. My mum visits the city also, she finds that really cool. She said she went on the tour, she said there was a cathedral, she loves that kind of stuff, you know.”
Ekitike’s fascination in Liverpool seems very genuine
Although Ekitike embracing his new surroundings could come across as a new player simply trying to say the right things, you get the impression that is not what’s going on here.
The former Eintracht Frankfurt star appears genuinely fascinated by the place he has arrived at and the people who reside within it.
It is not a given that new signings are willing to assimilate in such a way, with many closing themselves off and never building a connection with the city.
But Ekitike is obviously built of different stuff. He has a real personality which not only comes across on the pitch, but off it in everyday life as well.
As the No. 22 happily poses with members of the public while sitting for his interview, it is easy to deduce that a new fan favourite has been born at Liverpool this season. The goals help, of course, but even if he never scored for the Reds again, Ekitike has already built what feels like a lasting connection to the club and its fans.
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