Former PSG player Hugo Ekitike spoke to L’Equipe about Ousmane Dembélé, 27-year-old striker for Paris Saint-Germain and the French national team. For him, the Parisian player has had a turning point, but insists that he is “one of the best players” he has ever seen.
Ekitike “I’ve always found him strong in front of goal”.
“I’ve always found him strong in front of goal. In training, he was efficient. He has above-average quality. Then, I think the trigger came from himself. He found a little something in his day-to-day life that changed everything, perhaps in terms of rigor.
Ekitike “He understood that he was holding on to something, and we can see how it turned out”.
When you start to hold something in your mode of operation and you’re in a dynamic, you don’t stop. He’s understood that he’s got something, and we’ve seen what it’s like. I know Ousmane, he’s one of the best players I’ve seen in training. I’m not shocked. You get the impression that, since that breakthrough, he just can’t stop. And he’s not going to stop.”
Yet another player impressed by Dembélé, even though he hasn’t been around for long. Being strong in training and being strong in a match are two different things. That’s why it’s so interesting to see Dembélé change his state of mind to move forward and stop being the frustrating player.
He’s always been able to dribble and create chances. Now that he’s scored, he seems to be unstoppable. His outlook has changed, as has his communication on the pitch. Now, the hardest part is yet to come. We have to keep up the high standards.
