The 1.90-meter-tall forward is already turning heads in the Bundesliga after a breakout year at Eintracht Frankfurt last season. Technically gifted and quick-footed, Ekitike is a very talented player. His important attacking contribution has lifted the club to third place in the league table, equalling their highest Bundesliga era position. He has netted a phenomenal 15 this season, a personal best. This accomplishment is a testament to his growth and maturation as a professional and preparation for taking the next step in his career.
Despite doing well in his debut first season, Ekitike’s road to success hasn’t been a clear cut one. However, despite his imposing height listed at 6-foot-4, he is not your typical target man. He mixes quickness and explosiveness. What this means is that he’s an active player capable of being a center forward and a connecting player. His size and combination of optics with the ball at his feet, holding up the play, beating opponents in isolation certainly separates him from the pack in this attacking midfield position.
Oscar Garcia, Ekitike’s old coach at Stade Reims, spoke about his potential to become a 10. “He always was a talented player but some coaches did not like him because of his profile and sometimes because of his character,” Garcia stated. This realization explains some of the struggles Ekitike experienced earlier in his career. He did the hard work to earn his place beside proven, established competition.
While he struggled to find the back of the net in France’s top tier before his final season at Reims, Ekitike’s time on loan at Danish club Vejle Boldklub proved pivotal. He recounted this experience as the time he really, fully accepted that he was a pro and a professional player. Along with it, he accumulated hard-earned lessons that profusely benefited his evolution. “Sometimes in life it is very important how you build your steps and he chose very well with Vejle,” Garcia noted. “I think he came to a really good club. It had a good structure.”
Ekitike’s Bundesliga debut has been nothing short of spectacular. His elite ball skills and truly exceptional speed for his size obviously made him unique on the field. Uzunea Dumitru, another coach who has worked with Ekitike, commented on his unique abilities: “His skill with the ball is amazing and he has speed for his size. His agility and ability with the ball are unbelievable. He is a smart player too.”
This last season, what we’ve seen is Ekitike not only become a more prolific goal-scorer, but one that knows how to fit different styles of play. His versatility means he’s a major fit for teams that focus on counter-attacking football as well as teams that want to dominate games with possession. Garcia emphasized this adaptability, stating, “He can fit with teams that play more counter-attack but with teams with more possession, because he has the skill for both styles.”
Ekitike’s performance has garnered attention beyond Frankfurt, with many speculating about his future and potential moves to bigger clubs. His formative teen years at Stade Reims laid the foundation for his developmental blueprint. Since then, that plan has flourished into a model of success in the Bundesliga. You get the sense that the young forward is tireless in his efforts to be mentioned alongside those elites. This ambition has led to some blowback from coaches along his path. Garcia added, “They were thinking he was a little bit arrogant. He always wanted to be compared with the best ones.”
Ekitike is continuing to develop his game and improve upon what has been a promising season. What keeps him anchored is his determination to keep the momentum going. His story is a testament to his outstanding talent. Along with his talent is a keen sense of how to work the ins and outs of pro football’s labyrinth.
Leave a Reply