Thread by @LFCZA

Amazing piece in Marca on Hugo #Ekitike. Óscar García 'discovered' Ekitike: "He's not afraid of playing for Liverpool... or the money he's paid." #LFC

Óscar García Junyent is largely to blame for the 95 million euros Liverpool paid for Hugo Ekitike (Reims, 2002) . The lanky Reds striker (1.90 m) made his Ligue 1 debut under David Guion, but it was under the former manager of Brighton, Maccabi, Salzburg, Olympiacos and Celta , among others, that he really took off. #LFC #Ekitike

"My first impression was that he was a kid with a lot of potential... but he didn't have too many admirers at the club . We wanted to see him in preseason because we knew that if we could get him on the right track and convince him of his potential, he could be an important player," Óscar told MARCA.

My first impression was that he was a boy with a lot of potential... but he didn't have too many fans from the club. "He asked us to help him reach Mbappé's numbers."

Time proved him right. #Ekitike , who had been on loan at Danish side Vejle in 2020-21, scored 11 goals and provided five assists in 27 matches under the former Barça player: “What we did was give him confidence, an individualized training plan, and tried to instruct him with videos of his idols . I remember comparing his stats with those of players from teams at our level, and he asked us to help him reach Mbappé's numbers.”

His fantastic season with the eldest García Junyent earned him a €28.5 million signing for Paris Saint -Germain . “He has a lot of self-confidence , and that mentality has helped him a lot. PSG, back then, had Messi, Mbappé, and Neymar, and I remember him telling me, 'I'm going there to be a starter.' That wasn't the case... but he's not afraid of anything.”

“Always wanting more has helped him progress,” insists Óscar, who is confident that this philosophy will help him succeed at Anfield: “He won't be afraid of playing for Liverpool, or in the Premier League, or the competition... or the fact that they paid a lot of money for his transfer. He's convinced he'll be a starter no matter which team he goes to.”

"He embodies the profile of a modern striker"
When it comes to outlining the profile of the new Red No. 9, the former Chivas coach has no hesitation: “He's a skillful player, very fast and intelligent. He's decisive inside the box; he doesn't need much space to finish. His greatest strength is that he has a profile that fits both in association teams and in others that rely on counterattacks.”

Obviously, he's not perfect: "He's very young and still has a lot of room for improvement. For example, his heading and long-range shooting... although he's scored a few goals like that."

But his former coach, above all, defines him as a "modern striker." "He likes to be constantly in contact with the ball . He often feels more comfortable outside the penalty area than inside it," he emphasizes.

Óscar is encouraged, even by the parallels: “When I was coaching Reims, I compared him to Kanouté because of his physique and his ability to link up. He also has qualities of Henry: he can play on the wing and is dangerous in space. But above all, I would say he has qualities of Kanu. He reminds me a lot of him: he has quality in tight spaces and speed over long distances. I would dare say Ekitike is a bit faster.”

Will he improve on the 22 goals and 12 assists he recorded with Eintracht Frankfurt last season? "He's not a natural goalscorer, like Haaland. Ekitike likes to create chances and provide assists ," replies Óscar. Liverpool are confident they've found a number 9 for many years to come... #LFC #Ekitike