Liverpool forward Hugo Ekitike has admitted his difficult stint at Paris Saint-Germain was the perfect bridge to stardom.
Ekitike struggled for minutes in the French capital, as he has the likes of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar ahead of him in the team. Despite this, the Frenchman noted that the trio provided him with an incomparable education.
Reflecting on those superstar sessions in Paris, and his pride at having worked with eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi, Ekitike toldTNT Sports: “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. 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. 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.”
Hugo Ekitike looks on during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Liverpool. (Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Ekitike secured a £79 million summer move to Liverpool from Eintracht Frankfurt.
He has been in an impressive form, netting 15 goals and providing six assists across 38 appearances.
Set to book a place in Didier Deschamps’ France squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup, Ekitike isn’t satisfied with just being a regular starter; he has his sights set on the individual pinnacle of the game.
When asked by Owen Hargreaves if he has the potential to become the world’s best, Ekitike replied: “I think I can, I think I can. 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.”
