Who knew, when Hugo Ekitike signed for Liverpool, that he would become the talisman of the side in just his first season.
The Frenchman is a joy to watch on the football pitch, but he’s also a clinical striker who knows how to find the back of the net.
It’s not just Liverpool fans who adore him. Ekitike is exciting everyone with his talent, but also his mentality.
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Is Hugo Ekitike the best summer signing in the Premier League this season?
Hugo Ekitike celebrates after scoring for Liverpool against Brighton in the Premier League at Anfield.
Credit: Liverpool FC/Getty Images
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After Liverpool’s Qarabag rout, he spoke to the media about his feeling about the club, and those who fill the stands at Anfield.
Hugo Ekitike is living the dream with Liverpool fans behind him
It has been an ideal start for Ekitike on Merseyside, and at 23, his development is only going one way.
Some strikers take a while to find their feet in the Premier League, but for Liverpool’s £69 million signing, it happened straight away.
And he credits Liverpool fans for his meteoric rise.
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Speaking to the media (via Hayters) after Wednesday’s win, he was asked about the standing ovation he received on his way off the pitch.
Hugo Ekitike celebrates after scoring for Liverpool during their UEFA Champions League match against Qarabag at Anfield.
Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
He responded: “It means a lot. I play for fans, they give me so much energy. Sometimes in games when I haven’t scored you hear your name from the crowd and it’s a great feeling.
“It was what I was dreaming of as a kid and it made me live that so I’m grateful and I want to give more to them to make them happy.”
Aside from a jersey-related mishap against Southampton, Ekitike has been near-perfect in a struggling Liverpool side. If he carries on in this fashion, the love fans have for him will only continue to grow.
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So many good displays vs Qarabag
Liverpool FC v Qarabag FK - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD8
Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images
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Ekitike says he has settled in well at Liverpool
Not that we didn’t already know, but Ekitike claims he has really found a home at Liverpool, not just on the pitch.
As he puts it: “Obviously, I could do better, I could do worse. I’m pretty happy. The most important thing was to set up outside of the pitch with my teammates, that’s a big thing.
“Everything I do outside with my teammates, training, I think I’ve settled in well and that helps me to perform so I would say I’m happy but I’m hungry for more and I expect more from myself so I have to keep working.”
Ekitike isn’t resting on his laurels. He wants more goals, more plaudits.
From what we have seen from him in his first six months as a Red, he’ll get it all and more.
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