Hugo Ekitike Eyes Global Striker Status as Liverpool Forward Reflects on Lessons from Messi, Mbappe and Neymar

PSG experience shapes Ekitike’s ambition at Liverpool

Hugo Ekitike does not shy away from grand ambitions. Liverpool’s young forward speaks about becoming one of the best strikers in world football with a calm confidence that suggests belief rather than bravado. For Ekitike, that conviction is rooted in a formative period at Paris Saint-Germain, where he trained and played alongside some of the most decorated attacking players of the modern era.

Before arriving at Liverpool in a reported £79 million move from Eintracht Frankfurt, the French striker experienced the demanding environment of PSG. It was there that he shared the dressing room with Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar — a trio whose talent has shaped modern attacking football.

Speaking to TNT Sports, Ekitike reflected on that time with honesty. The experience was not always easy, but it proved essential to his development.

“I can’t lie, it was difficult for me to go on the pitch and be able to do what they were doing on the same level,” Ekitike admitted.

“I think I’ve never reached that level yet. It was about learning on the pitch, training, I saw a lot of great things.

“It’s not even just skills, I learned how to move without the ball, how I touch the ball, how I score goals, confidence in the game.”

For a striker still developing his craft, sharing the pitch with players of such calibre offered an education that few young forwards receive. At Liverpool, those lessons are beginning to translate into performances.

Confidence and pressure driving Ekitike forward

Ekitike’s early months at Liverpool have been promising. The 23-year-old has already contributed 15 goals in 38 appearances across competitions while adding six assists, a return that underlines his growing importance in the attacking unit.

More striking than the numbers, however, is the mentality behind them. Ekitike embraces the pressure that comes with wearing the Liverpool shirt, seeing expectation not as a burden but as motivation.

“I think I can, I think I can,” he said when asked if he could become one of the best strikers in the world.

“There’s room for improvement, I have to work more, progress, but obviously I’m where I wanted to be, and I am here.

“When I say I’m not scared of anything, it’s like I don’t fear pressure. People have expectations of me and I actually love that.

“It’s exciting for me to be here, to play big games, to play in big competitions. I always wanted to be there and play in those types of games for such a big club.”

Such words resonate in a city that demands belief and courage from its players. Liverpool supporters have long admired forwards who embrace responsibility in decisive moments, and Ekitike appears comfortable carrying that weight.

Partnership with Wirtz boosting Liverpool attack

While Ekitike’s development owes much to his PSG education, his present momentum is closely linked to the chemistry forming within Liverpool’s evolving squad.

One player in particular has made a strong impression on the French striker: Florian Wirtz. The German playmaker arrived at Liverpool in a record-breaking transfer worth around £116 million and has gradually begun to influence matches with his vision and creativity.

For Ekitike, playing alongside an intelligent No.10 has simplified the striker’s role.

“In this team, I think he’s the player I like to play with the most,” Ekitike said.

“I like the other players as well, but when you play as a striker and you have a No.10 that understands football so much and wants to play the same football as you, it makes things easy.

“I told him that if we play together, we’re going to do great things. If he gives me the ball, I give it back and things will happen.

“I enjoy playing with him so much, and I know he’s a player who can give me so many assists throughout the season. That’s good to have a player on your side that can make you shine.”

The early signs of that understanding have already appeared on the pitch. Wirtz’s creativity combined with Ekitike’s movement offers Liverpool a forward partnership capable of troubling even the most organised defences.

Path towards world-class striker status

Ekitike is realistic enough to acknowledge that the journey towards elite status remains ongoing. Yet his mindset reflects a player determined to reach the summit.

Looking back on his PSG days, the striker recognises the privilege of sharing a dressing room with players who shaped the sport.

“When I look back, it wasn’t a great time for me [at PSG] but I think that’s what I needed at that time. I learned so much, I’m so grateful to have been there with such good players.

“It’s a great picture I can put in my house because I played with the best player in the history of football. It was nice.”

Those experiences now serve as the foundation for his ambitions at Liverpool. With confidence growing and partnerships forming around him, Ekitike believes the next stage of his career could bring the breakthrough he seeks.

If his trajectory continues upward, Liverpool may well have a striker capable of fulfilling the bold promise he has set for himself.