1 hour ago
8
Ibrahima Konate has revealed the motivational message - delivered with just a hint of cheekiness - which he gave his Liverpool team-mate Hugo Ekitike while training together on Merseyside.
Ekitike is the only other French star playing under Arne Slot after he joined the squad this summer in a £79million deal, and has enjoyed a promising start to life in the Premier League.
The 23-year-old has scored six times in his 16 appearances across all competitions, and garnered an additional assist, but has on occasion been forced to play second-fiddle to Liverpool's even pricier purchase in this summer's striker market, Alexander Isak.
But under Slot, Ekitike has caught the eye of France's head coach Didier Deschamps, earning his first call up to the senior team at the end of August.
As a junior member of the team, the former Eintracht Frankfurt forward will still have lots to prove to be considered a starter under Deschamps at next year's Club World Cup.
Konate - who has 25 caps to his name - admitted that he saw the opportunity to further motivate Ekitike with a training-ground quip ahead of their joining up with France's squad this international break.
Ibrahima Konate (left) has shared how he attempted to motivate his Liverpool team-mate and compatriot Hugo Ekitike (right)
The 23-year-old has enjoyed a promising start to life on Merseyside since joining this summer
'Once, I gave him a bit of a hard time, but it was funny,' Konate told Canal+. 'We had to go to the gym after one of the training sessions, and the intensity we put into training, it's true, it's very tough.
'And he was tired. I went to see him and I said, "Come on, let's go to the gym now." And he said to me, "I'm knocked out, I'm dead."
'Actually, we don't have to go to the gym, but it's better to go, because we're kind of "called up." I looked at him and for two seconds, I didn't speak to him. And I said to him, "Do you want to go to the French national team or not?".'
With a laugh, Konate added: 'A minute later, he was in the gym.'
'The anecdote is a bit funny, but afterwards he quickly understood how it worked. In terms of work, he is someone who is very diligent and who will progress, I have no doubt about that,' Konate continued, heaping praise on the younger star.
Since receiving his first call-up, Ekitike has made four appearances for his country, but failed to get on the scoresheet thus far.
He will be aiming to change that as soon as possible however, and has the right mentor to further push him towards that target - France's captain Kylian Mbappe.
Speaking to Daily Mail Sport, Ekitike described how the pair formed a close bond while Ekitike was a teenager struggling to break into Mbappe's Paris Saint-Germain team.
'He saw me in a bad position at PSG,' he said. 'So he is happy for me that now things are working out.
'We see each other in the national team and play together.
'He has been like a big brother to me. He was always good to me, always gave me advice.
'Now we face each other in the Champions League, Liverpool versus Real Madrid, it is good.'
