Hugo Ekitike reveals how Arne Slot p*sses him off at Liverpool and whether he can play with Alexander Isak

Ekitike has been a resounding success on Merseyside since making the switch from Eintracht Frankfurt for a fee of £79m in the summer, however his time with the club has not been without some friction, as he readily admits.

The French striker was speaking with Daily Mail Sport, when he revealed that Slot's demands have annoyed him at times. The Reds' boss has demanded more work from Ekitike without the ball, while he has also publicly criticised the ex-PSG man for his red card against Southampton in September. Ektike scored the winning goal against the Championship side in the third round of the Carabao Cup, and was shown a second yellow card for removing his shirt during wild celebrations.

Despite those bumps in their working relationship, Ekitike views the Dutchman's pressure as a positive sign going forward.

Discussing Slot's high demands, Ekitike said: "As a player, sometimes you're p***ed (off), it's annoying.

"I know he wants the best for me and he wants the best for the team. I would say he's on my back, but (it's) not a bad thing. He just wants to help me, so I don't take that badly. He wants me to give more and more.

"Sometimes you say that a coach is on your back. Maybe sometimes you feel like it's a little bit too much and you want to complain, it's a good thing because I think if a coach doesn't like you, he will not speak to you or not try to get the best of you. I take it in a good way.

"On a certain day, obviously when I go 'it's a little bit annoying' but when I look back and watch the discussion we have, it's only good things and it's only for me to improve."

When pushed for the specific demands his manager has put on him, Ekitike replied: "To keep my shirt on! It was more about workrate without the ball. It was mostly about that, to be more involved and to work more for the team, which I'm trying to do. We'll get there – it's mostly about working without the ball."

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Ekitike's fast start to life in England was waylaid by the addition of Isak. The Swede completed his £125m from Newcastle later in the window, and his proven Premier League pedigree and high price tag meant that Ekitike was temporarily dropped to the bench.

The pair have started in tandem just once so far for Liverpool, a 5-1 demolition of the Frenchman's former club Eintracht Frankfurt. That experiment was cut short before it could really get going, with Isak picking up a groin injury in the first half of that tie that has sidelined him for the past three weeks. Despite their similarities, Ekitike sees no reason why the two cannot play together going forward.

"I think I'm able to play with any players and we can definitely play together," Ekitike insisted.

"I think we only played once in one half, so obviously we can't know yet. He's a good player and I'm not worried about good players because. intime they improve and learn how to find connections and links.

"I'm definitely sure that not only him, but all the players in the offensive line, I know we can all play together. Obviously not playing on the pitch all together at the same time, but I can be on the pitch with all of them and just enjoy playing good football."

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