Ekitic is no longer the child hiding behind Messi

The growth path of a young player, sometimes a failed wealthy experience will become the most valuable asset in his career. This is an example of Hugo Ekitic's time at Paris Saint-Germain. Although he was not successful there, this "school" taught him how to survive in the highest level of football.

Let's review that Ekitic was only 20 years old when he joined Paris in the summer of 2022. At that time, the three top superstars in the world football were sitting in the locker room. For a young genius from Reims, it is a glamorous and breathtaking environment. He was a substitute for most of his first season, scoring only 4 goals in 32 games, and even Mbappe publicly complained that he played football too "independent".

But in that harsh environment, Ekitic learned valuable experience. He himself later shared that he learned from Messi, Neymar and Mbappe how to stay calm and profession under pressure. He gradually realized that talent alone is not enough. You must also have personality and know when to be humble and when to stick to yourself. So when he had the opportunity to loan Frankfurt in the winter of 2024, he made a decision without hesitation, rejecting Enrique's idea of staying as a rotation player. He said, "I don't want to stay just for my salary, I want to play football." This decision shows that he has grown into a player who knows what he wants and dares to get out of the shadow of superstars.

Now, when he joined Liverpool, his mentality has been completely different. He is no longer the dreamer who first arrived in Paris. At Anfield, although he no longer has to face Messi, he also has to work with top stars like Salah. Liverpool's stressful atmosphere and strict discipline are no different from Paris, and the intensity of the Premier League is even higher. But it was that experience in Paris that would help him better adapt to the new game style and locker room environment.

Liverpool also learned from Nunez's previous lessons when introducing him. They need not only goals, but also a correct attitude, motivation and resilience. And Ekitic, a player who once studied silently under the shadow of Messi, has experienced enough hardships to know how to deal with all this.