Hugo Ekitike – The Football Interview

0:00This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. Hey Karriere, warum bist du so ohne Pause, ohne Fokus, ohne Atem, ohne Zufriedenheit, ohne Sinn? Karriere, wie wär's mal mit Gefühl? Ab März, Karriere neu entdecken, das Handwerk. If there was a big red button that would just demolish the internet, I would smash that button with my forehead. From the BBC, this is The Interface, the show that explores how tech is rewiring your week and your world. This isn't about quarterly earnings or about tech reviews. It's about what technology is actually doing to your work, your politics, your everyday life, and all the bizarre ways people are using the internet.

0:48Listen on bbc.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

0:55The 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 Eketike Hugo, firstly, let's start with you as a youngster. What was a young Hugo Eketiko like? Shy. Really? Yeah, very shy. I changed this, but yeah, shy, nice, same as now, and just passionate with football.

1:39At what point did football enter your life, or has it always been there? I think football is just my whole life. I just live football, sleep football, eat football, Even when I talk with my brothers, most of the time it's football, sometimes other things, 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 alright. I mean, we all love football, but we were just playing randomly in the street.

2:22I've always been playing outside. I remember also at school. So yeah, I kind of played everywhere when I was young. That's my memories here, football. You mentioned that your brothers weren't very good. At what point did you realise you were a bit better than them? My wife, I mean, not only my cousin, not only my brother, but my cousin was playing football and obviously they were playing for fun, they were playing in teams and stuff but they didn't reach top level. But I have a family who love football and we just share the same passion. Obviously it didn't work for them but they live the dream through me.

3:07Have you always been a forward player and attacking player scoring loads of goals? I've always been an offensive player. When I was young, I was more small, so I used to be winger. But yeah, I think around 16 to 20, 21, I grew. Now I'm too long, so 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 ball 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. I think Cody is the only tall winger I know. I don't know much winger who's tall. Can you remember the name of your first ever team that you played for?

3:55Yeah, Comontreux. What do you remember from playing there? At that time, I was not that serious. We just went on the pitch. I remember that warm-up, just coming and playing games straight. but we was young you know I was very very young and what kind of age were you? I started football when I was four and a half 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 ball running everywhere and there was good times can 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?

4:44Actually I remember the name of my first coach. Do you? My first ever coach, the name was Rodolphe, that's the one who bring me in the commentary when I was young. From where I'm from, I was in the centre for kids because my mum was working and so he bring 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, 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.

5:26Has 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 Rims, I was bad. I was really bad. I was like the kind of people who would dream a lot on the pitch. I had quality, but I was just dreaming too much. I was a sleeping player. I didn't want to make things happen. So I remember that I had an appointment with my parents, and they told me that if that was the end of the season, maybe it would be the end. Could have been released. Yeah. And then I remember that it would never happen.

6:10And 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 when I was young, and I think there was a turning point. 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 the bench, didn't play. And it was a turning point because I wanted to show that I'm good. When I came back to Reims, I was the first striker in the list.

6:52They wanted me to go loan and then I showed in the preseason that I could play, turning point. You may have my whole life. When I was in the rims, 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's arrived 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 maybe probably like half 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?

8:06First feeling is that I 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 the maximum I can to reach trophies and wins. So many amazing players at this club. Mohamed 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 cool with me, very open to talk to.

8:58It's really good to play with that kind of player. Obviously I was watching him on TV, you know, when he was scoring a bunch of goals and stuff. But he'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 gonna score a lot of goals and bring some a lot of wins to the team together. What's he like as a person away from the pitch? He's very cool, honestly he'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 he's cold that someone who don't talk a lot but it's 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 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?

10:15I grew more with my my mum so less my dad my dad was there but less so I was more with my mum so basically I yeah I was a lot with my mum I spent a lot of time with my my mum my little brother I think it was pretty calm you know I was just it was just football I was just playing football, going to school playing football, playing football home, playing football at the football in the club, so yeah, just playing football everywhere, that's how my childhood 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, was that your brothers celebrating your first Liverpool goal were they over here with you?

11:03Oh yeah I remember I told them, not my brother but You know my friend also because they were there that it was too much, you know, I don't like that kind of video But 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 and that's I think it's gonna be in time good good memories to see on on video and hopefully they're gonna be here they're gonna be there for many more more goals you said there you don't like that type of video you 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 like 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?

12:29Your choice. Do you get two days off here often? Not often. There's too many games here. If it happens, I will probably go to Paris to my family house, meet everybody, they all come to my house and we meet there. And if I have one day off, 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 favourite one. Go on, yeah. I have two, which is Whiplash and The Wolf of Wall Street. Ah, yeah. Good choice, a classic.

13:11Yeah. 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. cities. Do you like to do that often? Yeah, sometimes I like to draw. 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 so much things, but right now, Premier League with Liverpool. That's why you came here, isn't it?

13:48Yeah. I know how special it is to win the Premier League for English people, especially here so yeah win the league with Liverpool will be class I'm excited. Best of luck thank you for your time today and good luck winning the Premier League with Liverpool. I hope so thank you.

14:27If there was a big red button that would just demolish the internet, I would smash that button with my forehead. From the BBC, this is The Interface, the show that explores how tech is rewiring your week and your world. This isn't about quarterly earnings or about tech reviews. It's about what technology is actually doing to your work, your politics, your everyday life. and all the bizarre ways people are using the internet. Listen on bbc.com or wherever you get your podcasts.