Hugo Ekitike moved into double figures for goals after his match-defining brace against Newcastle United.
Hugo Ekitike celebrates a goal.
Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike has received praise from Alan Shearer. (Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
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Wayne Rooney reckons Alexander Isak should be worried by Hugo Ekitike's form as Alan Shearer also raved over the Liverpool star. The France striker scored twice and inspired the Reds against Newcastle United, as Arne Slot's side returned to winning ways with a 4-1 win.
The Magpies had been in the mix to sign the 23-year-old from Eintracht Frankfurt, but Liverpool swooped in and landed the striker. Ekitike has been a key signing for Liverpool since - while his double took him to double figures for the season, with 10 goals in 21 Premier League appearances, and 15 in all competitions.
The striker has seen comparisons to former Liverpool striker Fernando Torres, with iconic captain Steven Gerrard likening Ekitike to his old teammate.
Shearer also lauded the performance from Ekitike which turned the encounter on its head after Anthony Gordon gave the Magpies the lead five minutes earlier. Newcastle icon Shearer described his second effort as world-class, while detailing the conversation they shared on Florian Wirtz.
He said: "The brilliance of Ekitike and Wirtz, particularly Ekitike, it hurts even because Newcastle were in for them but he chose to go to Liverpool and that's fine. That's the difference, the second goal is world class, and it's an old fashioned toe-poke. It was a brilliant finish.
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"You're getting carried away there [potentially joining Kane, Mbappe and Haaland as elite strikers], aren't you? I mean he's a really, really talented player, and he could be in that bracket, those are incredible players, but talent-wise he was fantastic.
"He's a great talent, his second goal was fantastic, but the way he broke, one-vs-one with Malick Thiaw, he didn't time to hit it with his left foot.
"He was the difference, him and Wirtz, we spoke to Ekitike after the game, I did it with PLP, I asked him about the partnership with Wirtz, is it one they've worked with or has it just happened because I think the best ones are the ones that click and that's what he said.
"He was full of praise for him and he said when he plays with him, he makes a run and knows he's going to pass to him. There's a good partnership there."
Isak was behind the bench for the reunion with his former side on Saturday. The reverse fixture was overshadowed by the Sweden striker going on strike after becoming unhappy at St James' Park.
The forward was captured smiling while watching his teammates turn on the style after a below-par start.
Ekitike received a rub on the head from his fellow striker after he was brought off in the dying embers of their 4-1 win. But former United star Rooney believes Isak should be concerned about the form of Ekitike.
"I'd be more worried if I was Isak, sat there watching," Rooney said on The Wayne Rooney Show.
"His Liverpool career just hasn't got up and going yet. Obviously they paid a lot of money for him and these two [Wirtz and Ekitike] seem to have a real good understanding of each other's game and they look like a real threat.
"Ekitike's second goal in particular was brilliant, it reminds me of Romario. A little toe-poke goal, but it's instinctive.
"He's the type of player I like to watch. He's not a number nine, he's not a number 10. He drifts out wide, he gets on the ball, brings players into the game and he can score goals. So he's got a bit of everything really."