Hugo Ekitike had quite the Premier League debut, scoring, assisting and then watching from the bench as Liverpool secured a late win over Bournemouth.
It may have been the 23-year-old’s first competitive game for the club, but he had the Kop chanting his name having made quite the impression, which included a goal and an assist.
He was the third-fastest man on the pitch, with a top speed of 33.6km/h recorded by FotMob, and displayed the commitment to the shirt that fans can quickly identify with.
But it was Ekitike who wanted to be one of them in the final stages of the match, when Federico Chiesa and Mo Salah made sure of the win after Bournemouth made it 2-2.
Speaking to Sky Sports about his league debut, he said: “It’s a dream. I always dreamed to play here in the Premier League so I just enjoy every minute.
“It’s an amazing stadium. The fans at the end when it was at 2-2, they pushed so much. Even on the bench, I enjoyed it.
“I wanted to be in the crowd! It’s just amazing. But it’s the first game, we have so much to do to get better and to reach our goals.”
Ekitike was named Man of the Match by Sky Sports and although his praises were being sung, he further showed his character by quickly stating that he can do better.
He said: “Obviously I think it was a good performance. I could do better. But the most important [thing] tonight is the win and the mentality we showed.
“We wanted to win for the people who came tonight and for Diogo, and I think that’s what we did and I’m happy for everybody.
“I have so many things to do better, but I help the team as [much] as I can. I can do a lot of things and I think I will get better and do even more for this team.”
It is an attitude supporters can quickly resonate with and if his start to life at Anfield is anything to go by, we’re going to have quite the ride with the Frenchman.