Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike was a standout performer at Wembley during the Community Shield - and one story from his time at Reims sums up his fearless personality
Hugo Ekitike celebrating his goal in the Community Shield
Hugo Ekitike made an instant impact for Liverpool in the Community Shield defeat to Crystal Palace
(Image: Getty Images)
Liverpool will have been thrilled with Hugo Ekitike's debut for the club last weekend, with his dominant display at Wembley built on unwavering self-belief. Ekitike, 23, signed for the Reds in July in a deal worth up to £79million from Eintracht Frankfurt.
Just four minutes into the Community Shield loss to Crystal Palace, Ekitike made his mark in spectacular fashion. He collected the ball on the edge of the area, shifted his weight and fired past Dean Henderson into the bottom corner, igniting celebrations amongst Liverpool supporters.
For those familiar with Ekitike, his assured swagger, stylish finish and response to defeat, as well as his assessment of the game on social media, came as little shock. The promising talent initially made his reputation at French outfit Reims, where his belief in his capabilities started to flourish.
He once approached a manager privately to question why he wasn't playing. Reims' former head coach, David Guion, was struck by a 17-year-old Ekitike, who was turning out for the reserves at the time, and invited him to train alongside the first-team squad.
"I watched him play in a lot of local tournaments," Guion told The Athletic. "He was the best young player in the region. He scored a lot of goals, made good runs in behind. He was tall and rangy. It wasn't hard to see his potential."
After a week of training, Guion was set to name his squad for the next match. Naturally, given his age and reserve team standing, Ekitike was not included.
Hugo Ekitike of Liverpool celebrates
Ekitike opened the scoring in style for Liverpool at Wembley
His decision did not go down well with Ekitike. The French star asked to speak to Guion and told his boss that he had made the wrong call in omitting him - an action demonstrating that Ekitike's remarkable self-belief has been present from an early age.
"He just could not understand why he was not in the squad," Guion said. "That was Hugo. He was impatient with everything."
Guion added: "The kid is very, very, very sure of himself. That's his big quality. He's very conscious of his qualities and he always aims high. He doesn't doubt himself."
Franck Chalencon, Ekitike's manager at under-19 and reserve level, also disclosed how Ekitike flourishes when positioned as the focal point in a team. This could possibly become a point of contention with Liverpool still linked with a blockbuster move for Newcastle striker Alexander Isak, despite already having one bid rejected.
Hugo Ekitike crosses his arms as he celebrates in front of fans
Ekitike always knew he'd become the star he did at Eintracht Frankfurt
"You felt his personality on the pitch," said Chalencon. "He had to be the leader of the attack, the star striker. He always wanted the ball, always wanted to be the one who scored or changed a match."
Ekitike has previously experienced a high-profile transfer in his career. A short spell with European champions PSG proved to be a challenging introduction as he found it difficult under Luis Enrique, featuring just once.
When questioned by Le Parisien about the potential difficulties he might face in trying to make an impact for the French champions before his move, Ekitike's strong mindset was evident. "The risk never entered into my thinking," he said. "My football has never let me down."
Liverpool's loss in the Community Shield on penalties may have slightly overshadowed Ekitike's debut. However, the competitive first appearance of the Reds' new No. 22, as will his unwavering confidence, will have given fans plenty of optimism for the upcoming season.