Football Daily - Hugo Ekitike – The Football Interview

Episode Date: October 4, 2025

Kelly Somers sits down with the Liverpool forward, Hugo Ekitike. The Frenchman joined the Premier League champions this summer from Eintracht Frankfurt. He chats to Kelly about his childhood, playing alongside Mo Salah and how he loves to draw!

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Which function or scenario or the use case do I start with that gives me the most value? I'm Chip Klanixel, host of Resilient Edge, a business vitality podcast paid and presented by Deloitte. Our latest episode has the answers to all these questions and more. Available now, wherever you listen to podcasts. The Football Interview on the Football Daily podcast. I'm Kelly Summers, and this season I'll be. interviewing some of the biggest names in football, asking them the questions they don't normally get asked as I try to find out more about the person behind the player. The first half

will be on football, the second on their life away from the pitch. This isn't just any interview. This is the football interview. And today's episode is with Liverpool's Hugo Ecotique. Hugo firstly, let's start with you as a youngster. What was a young Hugo Ekekeke like? Shy. Really? Yeah, very shy. I changed this. But, yeah, shy, say nice, same as now, and just passionate with football. At what point did football enter your life, or has it always been there?

I think football is just my whole life. I just sleep football, sleep football, eat football. Even when I talk with my brothers, most of the time it's football, sometimes I don't think. But that's just my passion. I just love what I do and yeah at the moment that's the only thing in my mind and since I'm young yeah

you mentioned there your brothers are they your earliest memories of football playing with them they're not good at football you are though so it's all right I mean we all love football but yeah we were just like you know playing randomly in the street

I'm always been playing outside I remember also at school so yeah I kind of played everywhere when I was young That's my memories, yeah, football. You mentioned that your brothers weren't very good. At what point did you realize you're a bit better than them? I mean, my whole family, not only my cousin,

not only my brother, but my cousin was playing football. And obviously, like, you know, they was playing for fun. They was playing in teams and stuff, but they didn't reach top, top level. But I have, like, family when they love football. And, yeah, like, we just shared the same. obviously it didn't work for them but I mean they live the dream like through me so yeah have you always been a forward player in attacking player scoring loads of goals I always

been offensive player when I was young I was more small so I used to be winger but yeah like I think around 16 to 20 21 I grow I've been like now I'm too long so that's That's why I went more in the middle and now I'm centre forward. But yeah, I used to be winger. When I was young, I was taking border on the side. Too long? I think, I don't think you can be too long. No, not too long, but yeah, obviously I'm tall.

Not meant like, I think Cody is the only tall winger I know. I don't know much winger. No, you're right, yeah. Can you remember the name of your first ever team that you played for? Yeah, Comontreux. What do you remember from playing there? It wasn't like, at that time I was not that serious, we just went on the pitch. I remember that warm up, just coming and play games, Trey.

But we was young, you know, I was very, very young. What kind of age were you? I started football when I was four and a half. Oh, okay, really young. So, yeah, at that time, you know, I was just learning football, the basics and stuff. So basically I went to football just to have fun. It was not serious. So that's my first memories, you know, kicking the bull, running everywhere.

And there was good times. Can you remember or can you name anyone a coach or someone that's guided you or had the biggest impact on your career so far? Actually, I remember the name of my first coach. Do you? My first ever coach, the name was Rodolf. That's the one who would bring me in a commentary when I was young. From where I'm from, like, I was in the centre, like for kids. because my mum was working

and so he brought me to the football team Are you still in touch with him or anything? Have you spoken to him? I mean obviously you know now but I yeah I went when I was playing in Paris I came back you know

because I have my name somewhere in the football club but yeah I mean we don't talk much but yeah I remember him and if I go home one day I would go to say hi for sure

Has there been one particular turning point in your career, one moment that if it hadn't happened, maybe you wouldn't be sitting here now? I remember when I was 14, when I was playing in the academy at Rhyms, I was bad. I was really bad. I was like the kind of people who like would dream a lot on the beach. Like I had quality, but I was just dreaming too much. I was sleeping player. like I didn't want to make things happen so I remember that I had an appointment with my parent and they told me that if that was the end of the season maybe it would be the hand like

could have been released yeah and then I remember that it would never happen and in my mind I wanted to be the best and when I came back I was really really good so that focused you yeah I focused you it focused me like when I was young and I think there was a turning point And I had so much turning point after, but the first one in my life, I think. What other turning points have you had? Because you've already played in four different countries and you're only 23. I think, you know, when I went to Denmark, I was on a bench, didn't play. And it was a turning point because I only to show that I'm good.

When I came back to Reims, I was a first striker in the last. list, they wanted me to go alone and then I show in the preseason that I could play, turning point. You made my life. When I was in the rooms, I was on the bench, I had always to show that I can play and I'm the one who needs to play. Your time at PSG as well, how much has that shaped who you are today and the player that survived at Liverpool? Becoming a good player, is the biggest turning point in my life, I would say. Because obviously that's the first moment in my life. I've said I have known failure, you know.

I was like my probably like hard time, you know. And so it just sent me to be more tough in the head. I'm really different since I went to Paris. I'm a way better player. we're better human yeah I've changed so much and getting this opportunity at another big club Liverpool the champions of England

champions of Europe many many times what's that like for you and what's it been like so far being here first feeling is what that was proud very proud to come here when I know from where I come from it's good but I know like football is just moment I know like you can be in the top and go down straight so I set my mind to always be ready, work hard, to improve

myself here and to know success and bring success to the team and help maximum I can to reach trophies and wins. So many amazing players at this club, Mohammed Salah is one of the star names, of course. What's it like playing in a team and kind of also competing with him too? Really good. Mo is a really cool guy, you know. He's been really good with me, very open to talk to. It's really good to play with that kind of player. I was watching him on TV, you know, when he was scoring a bunch of goals and stuff.

But it's a really great athlete and competitor, so, you know, you can just improve yourself and learn from him. And yeah, like it's really good to share the pitch with him and I hope we're going to score a lot of goals and bring some lot of wins to the team together. What's he like as a person away from the pitch? It's very cool. Honestly, it's very cool. More cool than what I've seen on TV because sometimes they have straight face and stuff. So I was thinking maybe it's cold that someone who don't talk a lot.

really really open really like all the guys here they're all good guys they all talk they're very open to help you honestly they they they all helped me well to adapt to this team so yeah it's very nice let's find out a little bit more about you away from the pitch taking you back to your childhood you've already mentioned your brothers and where you're from but what are your memories of your childhood and what it was like at home in your household I grew more with my mom, so less my dad. My dad was there, but I saw him less.

I was more with my mom. So basically I was a lot with my mom. I spent a lot of time with my mom, my little brother. I think it was pretty calm. I was just, it was just football. I was just playing football, going school, playing football, playing football home, playing football in the club, in the club so yeah just playing football everywhere that's how my child was and you said before that

they've been on the journey with you despite not maybe making it to the levels that you have they've been on this journey and i saw a video of them celebrating in the stands is that was that your brothers celebrating your first liverball girl were they over here with you oh yeah yeah i remember i tell them not my brother but you know my friend or so because they was there that it was too much you know i don't like that kind of a video but it was So it's nice because, you know, like, I have the same people even when I was in Paris, when I wasn't playing, when I was at home, they were there with me. I have the same people with me that, like, when I have success and when I don't have success.

So obviously, I think they felt very proud of me. And that's, I think it's going to be in time good memories to see on video and hopefully they're going to be here, they're going to be there for many more goals. You said there you don't like that type of video. You're quite a private person. I mean, if it's me, I show this to people, it's okay. But, you know, I like, obviously I know, like it comes with being a football player at Liverpool. Obviously, you're more famous and stuff.

But my private life, I don't really want people to know. I like to be famous but unknown also at the same time because people don't know what I'm doing when I'm home with who I'm talking to you, what I do during my free times with my brothers and yeah. Talk to me about a typical day off for you then. How do you like to escape from football? One day off or two days off? Your choice. Do you get two days off here often? Not often, but it's too many games here. If it happens, I would probably go to Paris, to my family house, meet everybody with a go come home. to my house and we meet there.

And if I have one there, honestly, there's not much thing I can do. I just chill at home, recovery, PlayStation. PlayStation. I was going to say, you must be doing something at home. Yeah, swimming pool, jacuzzi. I watch movies. What kind of movies do you like?

My favorite one. Go on, yeah. I have two, which is Whiplash and the Wharf of Wall Street. Oh, yeah. Good choice, a classic. Yeah. Tell me one thing about yourself that might surprise me. I can draw.

Really? Yeah, yeah. What kind of drawings? Everything. People or? People, just everything, CDs. Do you like to do that often, is that? Yeah, sometimes I like to draw.

Well, it's always been easy to draw for me. If you could only achieve one more thing in your career, what would it be? If I can achieve one more thing. I imagine you're so young, you've got loads that you still want to achieve. Yeah, it's difficult because I want to achieve. because I want to achieve so much thing. But right now, Premier League with Liverpool. That's why you came here, isn't it?

Yeah. You know, I know how special it is to win the Premier League for English people, especially here. So, yeah, win the league with Liverpool would be class. I'm excited. Best of luck. Thank you for your time today.

Good luck winning the Premier League with Liverpool. I hope so, thank you. Thank you.