Liverpool captain Van Dijk questions Kai Tak pitch as Ekitike makes entrance in Hong Kong
Premier League champions set to face AC Milan in Hong Kong Football Festival after upbeat training session at new 50,000-seat venue
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk voiced concerns over the Kai Tak Stadium playing surface, soon after big-money signing Hugo Ekitike surprised Hong Kong fans by gatecrashing the club’s open training session on Thursday night.
French striker Ekitike, whose transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt for around U$112 million was confirmed earlier in the day, strolled out to meet his new teammates as they recovered from their 70-minute practice in front of 27,306 excited supporters.
The new stadium will be filled to its 50,000 capacity when Liverpool play AC Milan on Saturday in the Hong Kong Football Festival, and Van Dijk hoped a pitch that looked uneven and discoloured in places would be “a bit better for the match”.
“It was a bit difficult to play on, but we all have to deal with it,” the Dutchman said.
Van Dijk was planning to talk to Ekitike last night, but said he had already told the 23-year-old that “he has to work his socks off and be important for us”.
“I said, ‘You now play for one of the biggest clubs in the world; the pressure will be on you, and you have to show [your ability],” Van Dijk added.