Gerrard: Ekitike reminds me of former Anfield teamate
Liverpool’s Hugo Ekitike, has responded after Steven Gerrard compared him to Fernando Torres following our 4-1 win over Newcastle at Anfield.
The comments came during TNT Sports coverage after Ekitike’s brace helped turn the game around and continue a run of form that has transformed Liverpool’s attack in recent weeks.
Gerrard’s comparison centred on style, with the former Liverpool captain highlighting similarities in pace, power and all-round threat.
Ekitike was then asked directly about the Torres link and gave a measured reply that showed both respect and realism about where he is in his career.
Ekitike reacts to Torres comparison
"I just love playing football, whether I assist or score"
Hugo Ekitike reacts after a standout performance for Liverpool
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Ekitike admitted that he did not grow up watching Premier League football regularly but understands exactly what Torres represents at Liverpool.
He said: “Back in the day I couldn’t watch Premier League, to be honest. My mum didn’t pay [a subscription] I couldn’t see it, but yeah, obviously I know about him.
“I watched some clips, on YouTube. I would never put myself on the same level as him.”
Gerrard then doubled down on the comparison, saying: “There’s a lot of similarities, pace, power, you can score, you can assist. There are a lot of similarities.”
Ekitike responded with admiration rather than ego.
He added: “I love him, he was a really good player. I think you [Gerrard] enjoyed playing with him, too.”
Gerrard replied simply: “A lot.”
Ekitike finished by setting a long-term target rather than accepting the comparison as praise alone.
He said: “If I can reach this level and be even better, it would be great, but I have to keep working.”
What the numbers say about Ekitike and Torres
The Torres comparison inevitably invites a look at production as well as style.
Ekitike’s current Liverpool record stands at 32 games, 15 goals and four assists, which reflects a strong first season output in a side that has been inconsistent in the league.
Torres, by contrast, scored 33 goals and registered five assists in 46 games during his first season at Anfield, setting a benchmark that remains one of the most explosive debut campaigns in the club’s modern history.
The gap is clear in raw scoring, but the way Ekitike carries himself on the pitch, especially when running into space or finishing across goal, has drawn natural parallels with Torres’s early Liverpool goals.
His second strike against Newcastle, where he drifted past his marker and finished calmly, felt stylistically similar to Torres’s first goal for the club against Chelsea in 2007.
That blend of movement and composure is why figures such as Joe Cole have already described the Wirtz and Ekitike partnership as “frightening”, and why supporters are starting to see echoes of great Liverpool forwards in the Frenchman’s game.
Torres himself received a hero’s welcome when he returned to Anfield for a legends match despite the way his Liverpool career ended, and that emotional bond with supporters is something Ekitike will want to build over time.
For now, the comparison serves as both praise and challenge, with Ekitike making it clear that admiration does not replace ambition and that matching Torres’s impact will require sustained work rather than a few good weeks.
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