Speaking after Liverpool’s 4-1 win over Newcastle, Rooney reflected on the impact Ekitike has made alongside Florian Wirtz and how that will shape Arne Slot’s future choices.
Rooney over Ekitike and Isak
Wayne Rooney believes Ekitike’s performances have changed the conversation about the Liverpool striker.
‘I would be more worried if I were Isak and I was sitting there watching’ Rooney said further the latest episode of The Wayne Rooney Show.
“His career at Liverpool hasn’t started yet.
“Obviously they paid a lot of money for him and these two [Wirtz and Ekitike] seem to understand each other’s game very well – they look like a real threat.”
The former England striker went further by highlighting what makes Hugo Ekitike different from a traditional centre-forward.
“Ekitike’s second goal in particular was brilliant. It reminds me of Romario – a small goal, but it’s instinctive,” Rooney added.
“He’s the type of player I like to watch. He’s not a number nine, he’s not a number 10. He goes out wide, he’s on the ball, he brings players into play and he can score goals. So he’s got a bit of everything.”
That description fits Ekitike’s season so far.
The 23-year-old France international has made 32 appearances for Liverpool this season, scoring 15 goals and providing four assists.
These figures explain why Rooney sees the momentum clearly on Ekitike’s side and not on Alexander Isak, who has spent much of the campaign injured.
Slot already has a problem that he would like to have
This is not yet a dilemma, because Isak is still recovering and Ekitike simply plays his way into the team.
Arne Slot will not complain about two high-level attackers battling each other for minutes when the schedule tightens.
Ekitike’s growing rapport with Florian Wirtz has already received praise elsewhere.
“Ekitike has hit the ground running, he has been at it from the beginning. Ekitike and Wirtz look like they enjoy playing together.
“The scary thing is that they will keep getting better and better. We have been working together for six months now,” said Joe Cole after the Newcastle match.
That context is important because it shows why Slot will be reluctant to disrupt something that works.
At the same time, Isak’s situation deserves balance instead of panic.
The Sweden international arrived without a full pre-season, struggled to build rhythm and then suffered a serious leg fracture.
This order explains why it would be misleading to judge Isak on raw output alone.
There is also a tactical layer to this.
Ekitike does not operate as a regular striker, which gives Slot the opportunity to play two strikers in the same system instead of choosing just one.
That flexibility means that Liverpool do not yet have to deal with the problem of disgruntled players, because rotation and role allocation are already built into the model.
For now, Rooney’s comments underline the reality that Ekitike has earned his place through form, while Isak’s challenge will be to get back into contention when fit.
Liverpool would rather keep that situation under control than return to a time when there was no competition at all.
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