Emile Heskey has dispensed some advice to one of Liverpool’s summer signings who he described as ‘a bundle of energy’.
The Reds brought in several new players during the most recent transfer window, with Arne Slot still figuring out how best to incorporate the multitude of arrivals into his starting XI.
Hugo Ekitike has been the most impactful of the newcomers so far, with five goals making him our top scorer at this stage of the season, although he hasn’t netted in three appearances since his needless red card against Southampton last month.
Heskey issues advice to Ekitike
Heskey has been thoroughly impressed by what he’s seen from the Frenchman thus far, although he advised the 23-year-old to try and stick to a central position rather than constantly drifting out wide.
Speaking on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, the ex-Liverpool striker said of Ekitike: “He’s settled. He looks settled. He looks really, really good.
“He’s a young lad who’s just full of energy, just wants to get on the ball, wants to take players on. He’s more of a traditional to what we know as a front two where they’re going down the wing.
“He doesn’t stay central. If you watch him, he’s on the left wing one minute, then he’s on the right wing the next minute. Then he’s like trying to drop in and trying to get the ball to turn and go and drive with it.
“He’s a bundle of energy at the minute. Maybe he just needs to focus on trying to stay the width of the goal or something like that.”
Ekitike has tended to drift into midfield and out wide
With Ekitike not find the net in his last three matches after enjoying such a prolific start to his Liverpool career, would he be wise to heed Heskey’s advice in terms of confining himself to a central position?
When looking at the Frenchman’s heat map for the season so far (viewable via 1vs1), it’s immediately apparent that he frequently drifts out towards the space just outside the penalty area on the left flank and also tends to drop back into the middle third, rather than staying central in the 18-yard box.
Slot will certainly appreciate the 23-year-old’s mobility and work rate, though, and he’s already shown echoes of Bobby Firmino with his clever link-up play.
If Ekitike is selected to start against his former club Eintracht Frankfurt tonight (which John Aldridge is hoping for), with Florian Wirtz recalled in the number 10 role, maybe we’ll see the France international keeping primarily to a conventional centre-forward position and being in the right place to dispatch any chances created for him.
Heskey raises a valid point in his analysis of Liverpool’s number 22, although the summer signing has definitely been doing plenty right at Anfield, and hopefully what we’ve seen of him so far is just the tip of the iceberg!
You can watch Slot’s full post-Manchester United press conference via Empire of the Kop on YouTube: