Thierry Henry names Liverpool player who has surprised him and needs 'a lot of credit'

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Thierry Henry has claimed that Hugo Ekitike deserves "a lot of credit" for his performances at Liverpool this season. The French forward was one of three high-profile signings made by the Reds last summer.

While Liverpool forked out considerably more for Florian Wirtz (£116million) and Alexander Isak (£125m) from Bayer Leverkusen and Newcastle United respectively, it is Ekitike who has delivered the most in return - having arrived at Merseyside in a £79m deal from Eintracht Frankfurt . So far this season, the 23-year-old has notched 17 goals and six assists from 42 appearances across all competitions.

Having flourished in his new environment, Premier League great Henry believes he deserves full recognition for his efforts. Speaking to Betway about the impression Ekitike has made at both club and international level, the former striker turned pundit said: "The guy did it already – it's Ekitike.

"It happened earlier, and nobody saw it coming. You have to give him a lot of credit for making the jump, doing what he did at Liverpool and breaking through into this squad. But it's going to be a battle.

"Nobody thought eight months ago that Ekitike would be in this squad, so there's always a chance for someone to break in. Warren Zaire-Emery was with the Under-21s in November, and now he's back in. There's always a chance that someone can come through."

Despite Ekitike's impressive form, Liverpool face a glaringly obvious gap to plug this summer when Mohamed Salah brings his Anfield career to a close. The Egyptian confirmed last month that this campaign will be his last on Merseyside, as he sets his sights on his next adventure.

This comes despite the 33-year-old having only penned a contract extension last April that was set to keep him in the north west until 2027. Taking to social media to break the news, the Egyptian forward said: "Hello everyone. Unfortunately the day has come.

"This is the first part of my farewell. I will be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season. I wanted to start by saying that I never imagined how deeply this club, this city, these people, would become part of my life.

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"Liverpool is not just a football club, it's a passion, it's a history, it's a spirit. I can't explain in words to anyone not part of this club. We celebrated victory. We won the most important trophies and we fought together through the hardest time in our life.

"I want to thank everyone who was part of this club throughout my time here, especially the team-mates past and present. And to the fans, I don't have enough words. The support you showed me through the best time of my career and you stood by me in the toughest time.

"It's something I will never forget and something I will take with me always. Leaving is never easy. You gave me the best time of my life. I will be always one of you. This club will always be my home to me and my family. Thank you for everything. Because of all of you, I will never walk alone."

Following the announcement, a host of high-profile players have been linked with a summer switch to Liverpool - amongst them Nico Williams, Yan Diomande and Francisco Conceicao. Harry Wilson has also been mooted as a potential returnee to the club.

For now, however, the Reds' complete focus will be firmly fixed on securing the strongest possible Premier League finish come May, as their hopes of retaining last season's title fade with each passing week. At the time of writing, Liverpool find themselves fifth in the table, a massive 21 points behind league leaders Arsenal with only seven matches left to play.

Next up for Arne Slot's men is an FA Cup quarter-final showdown with Manchester City on Saturday, April 4 A Champions League last-eight encounter with Paris Saint-Germain then follows on Wednesday, April 8, before the Reds welcome Fulham to Anfield in the Premier League on Saturday, April 11.

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