Exclusive: Hugo Ekitike on learning from Lionel Messi and why he and Omar Marmoush are at '50%' of what they can be

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In an exclusive interview with TNT Sports, Hugo Ekitike has opened up about how his lack of game time at Paris Saint-Germain affected his confidence and how he has rediscovered it at Eintracht Frankfurt. The 22-year-old forms one of Europe’s deadliest forward duos alongside Omar Marmoush and Ekitike believes they have yet to reach anything like their full potential.

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Hugo Ekitike has fired an ominous warning that there is plenty more to come from his partnership with Omar Marmoush at Eintracht Frankfurt.

The forward duo have already amassed 28 goals and 16 assists between them across all competitions this season, contributions that have Frankfurt second behind Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga and in prime position for an automatic place in the knockout phase of the UEFA Europa League.

But Ekitike believes they have yet to tap into their full potential ahead of Frankfurt's Thursday night clash with Lyon in the Europa League, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

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Asked what makes them tick, the 22-year-old said: "Well, I think we're still maybe 50% of what we could be if we worked even better together. Today, it's great.

"The other players trust us and so does the coach. So obviously we want to give something back. And giving back means performing well.

"It's great to be able to play with a player like that too. I think that the way we complement each other gives us a lot of attacking options and allows us to offer a very different style of play."

Ekitike has found his feet in Germany after a difficult spell at Paris Saint-Germain, where he struggled to force his way into the first team.

In a year and a half in the French capital, he found the net just four times in 33 appearances and admits doubts started to creep in.

But he was competing with the likes of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar for minutes, and although he didn’t make the impact he would have liked, with hindsight he realises the fortunate position he was in to work with some of the best players in the world on a daily basis.

"That's the thing," he continues, "at the time, I didn't see things like that because I wanted to play.

"But it's only now, after spending a lot of time at home reflecting on what happened, that I've realised that I've been lucky enough to be in a place where no one else has been.

"I'm always on a quest to learn. I have a thirst for learning. I realised that at the end of the day, I'd maybe spent a year, a year and a half watching the best players in the world go through their paces in training and even in matches. Sometimes up close, sometimes a little further away."

Now he has found a place where he can realise his "childhood dream to be able to count," he is fully focused on continuing his upward trajectory and avoiding the pitfalls that so many strikers fall into.

"Everything moves fast in football," he added. "You're there (hand up) then you're there (hand down) very quickly. What I'm trying to show today is that I'm constantly progressing, that it's linear and that I'm continuing to climb.

"I was young and I climbed quickly, even though I had a lot of things to learn and store up, but that's how it happened.

"I wouldn't wish it on anyone, it's not easy. But I'm still here. I think I've got a good head and I'm continuing to work to be the best I can be."

In his immediate future is a return to France to take on Lyon in the Europa League. Frankfurt sit third in the table after five games of the new league phase and could go top with a win against the Ligue 1 side.

It also represents a chance for Ekitike to prove how much he has progressed since leaving his home country.

Asked if that was in his mind, he said: "I'm happy to be back in France. But I'm not in a vindictive frame of mind. I want to win, that's normal.

"Of course, I also want to show that we have a good team and my qualities. I want to show that I've grown up in the meantime.

"The first time I played against Lyon, I was 18 or 19. I'm going to play them again when I'm 22. And in a European Cup match at that. It's magnificent. I want to enjoy the moment."

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TNT Sports will show over 500 matches from the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Conference League across the 2024/25 season. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination.

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