“I thought he was cold” - Hugo Ekitike opens up on how Liverpool ace Mo Salah is off the pitch

Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike has opened up on how superstar Mohamed Salah is on and off the pitch. The French striker has enjoyed a solid start to life at Anfield following his £79 million move from Eintracht Frankfurt.

The 23-year-old has already found the back of the net five times in nine games for Arne Slot's side while also providing one assist. The France international has opned up on how he feels about playing alongside Salah who is one of best players in the world.

In an interview with BBC Sport, Kelly Somers questioned Ekitike:

"What is it like playing with Mohamed Salah?"

Ekitike replied:

"Really good. Mo is a really cool guy, he is really open with me and is really good to talk too. He is great to play with. I was watching him on TV when he was scoring the goals and stuff but he is a really great athlete. You can just improve yourself and learn from him. It is good to share the pitch with him and I hope we are going to score lots of goals and bring some wins to the team together."

Kelly Somers also asked Ekitike how Salah is off the pitch. She asked:

"What is he like as a person, away from the pitch?"

Ekitike said:

"He is very cool. More cool than what I have seen on TV because sometimes you see straight face and stuff so I thought he was cold... someone who doesn't talk a lot. He is really open, like all of the guys here. They are really open and want me to adapt to the team."

Ekitike is still in his early days as a Liverpool player and has shown signs that he is a star in the making. Many were sceptical when the Reds splashed big money for his signing in the summer but the ex-PSG striker has silenced the doubters.

Salah, on the other hand, has endured a rather slow start to life this season having contributed with three goals and three assists in nine games. Since moving to Anfield from Roma in 2017, the Egyptian winger has scored 248 goals and provided 116 assists in 410 appearances for Liverpool.

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Peter Crouch questions Arne Slot's tactics in Liverpool loss to Galatasaray

Pundit Peter Crouch questioned Arne Slot's tactics in Liverpool's 1-0 loss against Galatasaray in the league phase of the Champions League. The Dutchman deployed Dominik Szoboszlai at right-back and Jeremie Frimpong on the right wing while naming Mohamed Salah on the bench.

Following their surprise defeat against Galatasaray, Slot has been subject to criticism from various pundits. Peter Crouch insisted that the former Feyenoord manager got his tactics wrong in the game. Speaking to Paddy Power, the ex-Liverpool striker said:

"Arne Slot made some mistakes in the Galatasaray game. Salah very rarely sits on the bench, playing Frimpong higher up, Szoboszlai at right back. It did feel a bit strange, the tactics. That’s the first time I’ve thought the manager got it wrong there. But other than that, I don’t think anyone is firing quite yet – Arsenal, City, Liverpool, Chelsea – everyone’s faltered.”

Arne Slot lost his second consecutive game across competitions for only the second time in his tenure at Liverpool. They lost 2-1 against Crystal Palace last week in the Premier League.