'He's brilliant': Michael Owen says Liverpool star he 'loves' will become one of the top-three players in his position

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Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen have now described Liverpool centre-forward Hugo Ekitike in exactly the same way.Ekitike has shone since he arrived at Anfield from Eintracht Frankfurt during the 2025 summer transfer window.While his goals have slowed down in recent weeks, Michael Owen has still made a big prediction for the Frenchman this week, labelling him as ‘brilliant’. I love watching him [Ekitike] play.”Now, while chatting to his former England teammate this week on The Wayne Rooney Show, Owen also called Ekitike brilliant, expressed his ‘love’ for the striker and suggested he has the ability to become one of the top three strikers in the world.He said: “I just love Ekitike.

I think he’s going to be, if you take, you know, Kane and Lewandowski and players like that out of world football, which in a couple of years or whatever, then you’d think that would be the case. “I think you’re looking at him as possibly the best or definitely in the top three.

I think he’s brilliant.” Will Xabi Alonso be Liverpool manager by the start of the 2026/27 season? Photo Credit: Getty Images/Alberto Gardin/NurPhoto Worrying Hugo Ekitike trend will need to change if he’s to make Michael Owen’s prediction come trueSince the start of 2025/26, the 23-year-old has probably been Liverpool’s most consistent summer signing.Unlike Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez and the regularly injured Alexander Isak, Ekitike hit the ground running at Anfield.However, with a good chunk of the campaign gone, a worrying Ekitike trend has now emerged.While he has scored 16 and assisted six in 39 matches so far this term, the centre-forward rarely contributes on the goal front against top teams.In fact, the only traditional ‘big six’ club he has scored against this season is Tottenham Hotspur, who are firmly in a relegation battle right now.If Ekitike is to become one of the top three strikers in the world, as Owen suggested he can be, he needs to start doing more against tougher opponents.Join Our NewsletterReceive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox