- 22 hours ago
The Football Interview - Season 1 Episode 8 -
Hugo Ekitike
Hugo Ekitike
Category
😹
FunTranscript
00:00I'm Kelly Summers and this season I'll be interviewing some of the biggest names in football,
00:04asking them the questions they don't normally get asked,
00:07as I try to find out more about the person behind the player.
00:11The first half will be on football, the second on their life away from the pitch.
00:15This isn't just any interview, this is the football interview.
00:18And today's episode is with Liverpool's Hugo Echotique.
00:27Hugo, firstly, let's start.
00:30With you as a youngster, what was a young Hugo Echotique like?
00:34Shy.
00:35Really?
00:36Yeah, very shy.
00:37I changed this, but yeah, shy, nice, same as now, and just passionate with football.
00:48At what point did football enter your life or has it always been there?
00:52I think football is just my whole life.
00:55I just live football, sleep football, eat football.
01:01And even when I talk with my brothers, most of the time it's football, sometimes other things.
01:07But that's just my passion.
01:08I just love what I do, and yeah, at the moment that's the only thing in my mind.
01:16And since I'm young, yeah.
01:17You mentioned there your brothers.
01:19Are they your earliest memories of football, playing with them?
01:23They're not good at football.
01:25You are though, so it's all right.
01:26I mean, we all love football, but yeah, we were just like, you know, playing randomly in the street.
01:33I've always been playing outside.
01:36I remember also at school.
01:39So yeah, I kind of played everywhere when I was young.
01:42That's my memories here with football.
01:44You mentioned there your brothers weren't very good.
01:47At what point did you realise you were a bit better than them?
01:50I mean, my whole family, not only my cousin, not only my brother, but my cousin was playing football.
01:57And obviously, like, you know, they was playing for fun.
01:59They was playing in teams and stuff, but they didn't reach top, top level.
02:04But I have, like, family when, like, they love football.
02:09And yeah, it's like, we just share the same passion.
02:13Obviously, it didn't work for them, but I mean, they live the dream, like, through me.
02:19So yeah.
02:20You mentioned there you've kind of played against them.
02:22Have you always been a forward player and attacking player, scoring loads of goals?
02:28I've always been offensive player.
02:30When I was young, I was more small.
02:32So I used to be winger.
02:35But yeah, like, I think around 16 to 20, 21, I grow.
02:42I grow.
02:43I've been, like, now I'm too long.
02:44So that's why I went more in the middle and now I'm centre forward.
02:50But yeah, I used to be winger.
02:51When I was young, I was taking bola on the side.
02:55Too long?
02:55I think, I don't think you can be too long.
02:57No, I'm not too long.
02:58But yeah, obviously, I'm tall, not many, like, I think Cody is the only tall winger I know.
03:05I don't know much winger, like, who's tall.
03:08Can you remember the name of your first ever team that you played for?
03:11Yeah.
03:12What do you remember from playing there?
03:15I remember that's the club from my area, so it wasn't, like, at that time I was not that serious.
03:22We just went on the pitch.
03:23I remember that, you know, warm-up, just come in and play games, trade.
03:27But we was young, you know, I was very, very young.
03:30What kind of age were you?
03:32I started football when I was four and a half.
03:35Oh, OK, really young.
03:36So, yeah, at that time, you know, I was just learning football, the basics and stuff.
03:42So, basically, I went to football just to have fun.
03:48It was not serious.
03:49So, that's my first memories, you know, kicking the ball, running everywhere.
03:54And it was good times.
03:56Can 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?
04:04Actually, I remember the name of my first coach.
04:07Do you?
04:07My first ever coach, yeah.
04:08The name was Rodolphe.
04:10Yeah.
04:11That's the one who bring me in the commentary when I was young.
04:14Because I was in, I don't know what to say, like, you know, from my hood, from where I'm from, like, I was in the centre, like, for kids.
04:25OK.
04:26Because my mum was working and so he brought me to the football team.
04:32Are you still in touch with him or anything? Have you spoken to him?
04:34I mean, obviously, you know, now, but I, yeah, yeah, I went when I was playing in Paris.
04:39I came back, you know, because I have my name somewhere in the football club.
04:44But, yeah, I mean, we don't talk much.
04:48But, yeah, I remember him and if I go home one day, I would go to say hi, for sure.
04:55Has 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?
05:06I remember when I was 14, when I was playing in the academy at Rims, I was bad.
05:14I was really bad.
05:16I was like the kind of people who, like, would dream a lot on the pitch.
05:19Like, I had quality, but I was just dreaming too much.
05:23I was a sleeping player, like, I didn't want to make things happen.
05:27So, I remember that I had an appointment with my parent and they told me that if that were the end of the season, maybe it would be the end.
05:37Could have been released.
05:38Yeah, and then I remember that it would never happen and in my mind I wanted to be the best.
05:45And when I came back, I was really, really good.
05:47So, that focused you?
05:48Yeah, I focused you.
05:50It focused me, like, when I was young and I think there was a turning point.
05:54I had so much turning point after, but the first one in my life, I think.
05:59What other turning points have you had?
06:01Because you've already played in four different countries and you're only 23.
06:05I think, you know, when I went to Denmark, I was on the bench, didn't play.
06:14And it was a turning point because I wanted to show that I'm good.
06:20When I came back to Rims, I was the first striker in the list.
06:25They wanted me to go long.
06:27And then I showed in the pre-season that I could play, turning point.
06:33You may have my whole life.
06:36When I was in the rims, I was on the bench.
06:39I had always to show that I can play and I'm the one who needs to play.
06:45Your time at PSG as well, how much has that shaped who you are today
06:50and the player that's arrived at Liverpool?
06:52Becoming a good player is the biggest turning point in my life, I would say.
06:57Because obviously that's the first moment in my life, I have known failure, you know.
07:06I was like, probably like hard time, you know.
07:10And so it just set me to be more tough in the head.
07:16But I'm really different since I went to Paris.
07:21I'm a way better player, way better human.
07:26Yeah, I've changed so much.
07:28And getting this opportunity at another big club, Liverpool, the champions of England, champions of Europe many, many times.
07:37What's that like for you and what's it been like so far being here?
07:40First feeling is that I was proud, very proud to come here.
07:45When I know from where I come from, it's good.
07:50But I know like football is just a moment.
07:53I know like you can be in the top and go down straight.
07:57So I set my mind to always be ready, work hard, to improve myself here and to know success and bring success to the team
08:08and help the maximum I can to reach trophies and wins.
08:14So many amazing players at this club.
08:17Mohamed Salah is one of the star names, of course.
08:20What's it like playing in a team and kind of also competing with him too?
08:25Really good.
08:26Mo is a really cool guy, you know.
08:29He's been really cool with me, very open to talk to.
08:34It's really good to play with that kind of player.
08:36Obviously, I was watching him on TV, you know, when he was scoring a bunch of goals and stuff.
08:43But he's a really great athlete and competitor.
08:48So, you know, you can just improve yourself and learn from him.
08:53And yeah, like it's really good to share the pitch with him.
08:57And I hope we're going to score a lot of goals and bring a lot of wins to the team together.
09:06What's he like as a person away from the pitch?
09:09He's very cool.
09:11Honestly, he's very cool.
09:13More cool than what I've seen on TV because sometimes they have straight face and stuff.
09:17So I was thinking maybe it's cool that someone who don't talk a lot.
09:22But it's really, really open, really like all the guys here.
09:27They're all good guys.
09:28They all talk.
09:29They're very open to help you.
09:33Honestly, they all helped me well to adapt to this team.
09:37So, yeah, it's very nice.
09:43Let's find out a little bit more about you away from the pitch.
09:46Taking you back to your childhood, you've already mentioned your brothers and where you're from.
09:51But what are your memories of your childhood and what it was like at home in your household?
09:55I grew more with my mum.
09:59So less my dad.
10:00My dad was there, but less I was more with my mum.
10:03So basically, yeah, I was a lot with my mum.
10:07I spent a lot of time with my mum, my little brother.
10:12I think it was pretty calm, you know.
10:14I was just, it was just football.
10:17I was just playing football, going to school, playing football, playing football home, playing football in the club.
10:25So, yeah, just playing football everywhere.
10:27That's how my childhood was.
10:30And you said before that they've been on the journey with you, despite not maybe making it to the levels that you have.
10:35They've been on this journey.
10:36And I saw a video of them celebrating in the stands.
10:39Was that your brothers celebrating your first Liverpool goal?
10:42Were they over here with you?
10:43Oh, yeah, yeah.
10:44I remember, I told them, not my brother, but, you know, my friend also, because they were there, that it was too much, you know.
10:51I don't like that kind of video.
10:53But 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.
11:04I have the same people with me that, like, when I have success and when I don't have success.
11:10So, obviously, I think they felt very proud of me.
11:16And that's, I think it's going to be in time, good memories to see on video.
11:21And, yeah, hopefully they're going to be here.
11:25They're going to be there for many more goals.
11:29You said there you don't like that type of video.
11:31Are you quite a private person?
11:32I 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.
11:45Obviously, 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,
11:59because people don't know what I'm doing when I'm home, with who I'm talking to, what I do during my free times with my brothers, and, yeah.
12:07Talk to me about a typical day off for you, then. How do you like to escape from football?
12:11One day off or two days off?
12:13Your choice. Do you get two days off here often?
12:16Not often, but if it happens, I will probably go to Paris, to my family house, meet everybody.
12:24We all come to my house and we meet there.
12:27Yeah. And if I have one day off, honestly, there's not much thing I can do. I just chill at home, recovery, PlayStation.
12:36PlayStation. I was going to say, you must be doing something at home.
12:39Yeah. Swimming pool, jacuzzi. I watch movies.
12:42What kind of movies do you like?
12:44My favourite one.
12:45Go on, yeah.
12:46I have two, which is Whiplash and The Wolf of Wall Street.
12:54Oh, yeah. Good choice. A classic.
12:56Yeah.
12:57Tell me one thing about yourself that might surprise me.
13:01I'm left-handed.
13:03You didn't know.
13:05True. I didn't know. It's quite common, though, isn't it?
13:09No, I don't know.
13:12Something special.
13:14Yeah. Have you got a secret talent?
13:15Ah, yes, I have one.
13:18Go on.
13:19I can draw.
13:20Really?
13:21Yeah, yeah, yeah.
13:21What kind of drawings?
13:22Everything.
13:23People, or...?
13:24People, just everything. CDs.
13:27I like...
13:28Do you like to do that often, is that...?
13:30Yeah, sometimes I like to draw.
13:32It's always been easy to draw for me.
13:35With your left hand, though?
13:36Yeah, with my left hand.
13:37If you could only achieve one more thing in your career, what would it be?
13:41If I can achieve one more thing...
13:45I imagine you're so young, you've got loads that you still want to achieve.
13:50It's difficult because I want to achieve so much thing, but right now, Premier League with Liverpool.
13:56That's why you came here, isn't it?
13:57Yeah, you know, I know how special it is to win the Premier League for English people, especially here.
14:05So, yeah, winning the league with Liverpool would be...
14:09..class.
14:10I'm excited.
14:12Best of luck. Thank you for your time today and good luck winning the Premier League with Liverpool.
14:16I hope so, thank you.
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