Hard work has been central to Hugo Ekitike’s rise to consistent form, according to Arne Slot.
The Liverpool forward has scored five goals in his last three Premier League outings and has 11 goals in total since his summer move from Eintracht Frankfurt.
Only Manchester City’s Erling Haaland has scored more non-penalty goals in the league this season than Hugo Ekitike’s eight.
Speaking ahead of Saturday’s meeting with Wolverhampton Wanderers, head coach Slot said: “I think he has showed a lot of hard work to get to this fitness level where he is at the moment.
“It sometimes took us, me, a bit of convincing that this all is actually needed to become stronger but he always did it – and not always with a smile on his face!
“But he has worked really hard to get fitter and fitter and fitter on and off the pitch and I’ve tried to convince him as well that the better you defend a set-piece the bigger chance you have to score a goal at the other end because if you are 0-0 it’s easier to score a goal than when you are 1-0 down.
“This might sound strange but what it does with the energy levels of the other team, if you are conceding or if you are 1-0 up, that is a difference.
“So, for us, for him to score goals it’s also important that we hardly concede, let alone in set-pieces. But he has worked really hard to get where he is now and I think he is ready to go into a programme we are facing now but he is not the only No.9 I have.
“I have Federico Chiesa I can play in that position as well so I have the chance to, I wouldn’t say rest him, but take him off if he is completely tired with Federico Chiesa being available.”
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