Liverpool forward Ekitike has said that he will never put himself in the same level as Fernando Torres and that he will need to continue hard work to reach that status. His statement came after Steven Gerrard compared the 23-year-old's style of play to Torres during the Reds' 4-1 win against Newcastle United in the Premier League on Saturday January 31.
Hugo Ekitike makes humble claim on comparisons with Fernando Torres
Arne Sot and his team came from behind to clinch a vital win through a Hugo Ekitike brace and goals from Florian Wirtz and Ibrahima Konate. The former was at his level best in the first half, scoring two goals in the space of two minutes to ensure Liverpool got back into the game at Anfield.
Ekitike's second goal was the key moment of the game. The French forward made a quick and direct run into Newcastle's box, before accurately topping the ball into the bottom-right. Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard compared him to Fernando Torres while on punditry duty for TNT Sports, saying:
"It's Torres-like. He just gets it out of his feet and it's that toe poke. He reminds me of Torres, this player, every time I watch him. He's scoring similar types of goals, where if you give him space in the channel, he'll run it, he's too quick, you can't catch him and he's deadly. There are a lot of similarities, pace, power, you can score, you can assist."
When Ekitike was informed of these comparisons following the game, he replied:
"Back in the day, I couldn’t watch the Premier League to be honest, my mum didn't pay so I couldn't see! I have watched some clips of YouTube. I will never put myself on that bracket. He was an incredible player. If I reach his level it would be great. I have to keep working."
Torres cemented himself as one of Liverpool's most exciting forwards of all time during his stint at the club between 2007 and 2011. The Spanish player scored 81 goals and 19 assists in 142 games across all competitions.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot reveals Hugo Ekitike's biggest improvement
Liverpool boss Arne Slot has revealed that Hugo Ekitke's biggest improvement since playing for the Reds has been his work-rate without the ball. The French forward has stepped up since Alexander Isak picked up a long-term injury earlier this season, becoming crucial parts of the Reds in the recent games.
After his side's 4-1 win over New Castle, Slot was quizzed about Ekitike's character away from the pitch during the post-match press conference. He told Liverpool's official website:
"Funny, happy, always brings a nice energy to the training ground, but also to the stadium because the fans love him as well. From the start, I think everybody could see how special he is, how fast he is. That was probably seen the best in the second goal he scored; he took a one-v-one on, went on the outside, which is very, very difficult in modern football to beat someone around because usually players go to the inside and have a shot with the right. But there you can see his pace."
He added:
"Again, I would love to mention the fact that probably didn’t even improve that much on the ball because he was special from the start, but his biggest improvement is his work-rate off the ball and that is so helpful and necessary for any team, let alone for a team that wants to press throughout 95 minutes."
Since joining Liverpool from Eintracht Frankfurt over the summer for a fee of £69 million, Ekitike has scored 15 goals and four assists in 32 outings across all competitions.