Ekitike joins exclusive Liverpool club as deal is done – here’s who they are
Hugo Ekitike has been confirmed as a new Liverpool signing.
Ekitike is set to link up with his Anfield teammates on their pre-season tour of Asia after the Reds announced the transfer.
He has joined an exclusive club after signing for the Premier League champions, which contains just four others.
His surname is a palindrome, meaning that it is spelt the same way if it is reversed, and Liverpool News takes a look at the previous Reds who share this quirk with the Frenchman.
Andrew Hannah – 1892 – 1895
Hannah was the first player with a palindrome surname to play for the Reds.
He joined the Merseysiders when they were formed in 1982 and was paid £5 per week with a £150 signing-on fee and won the Second Division title in the 1893/94 season.
The right-back was Liverpool‘s first-ever captain and left when they were relegated to the second division in 1895.
David Hannah – 1894-1897
Another Hannah, David arrived from Sunderland in 1894 but was not related to Andrew, despite them both starting their career with Renton.
The inside forward featured 33 times for the Reds, notching 12 goals and winning the Second Division title in the 1895-96 campaign with the Merseysiders.
He departed in 1897 and moved to Dundee in Scotland.
Sheyi Ojo – 2011-2022
Ojo signed for the Anfield outfit in 2011 from MK Dons for a fee believed to be around the £2million mark.
He would initially play for the academy and eventually made his competitive debut in 2016 in the 2-2 FA Cup third-round draw with Exeter City.
The England youth international went on loan seven times in his time with Liverpool and ultimately made eight appearances before sealing a permanent switch to Cardiff City in 2022.
Ozan Kabak – 2021
Kabak was signed on loan during the ill-fated 2020-21 campaign.
Jurgen Klopp‘s side had been decimated by injuries and needed new additions at centre-back, so the Turkish international was brought in.
His spell was nothing special, and the Reds declined the chance to purchase him on a permanent basis after the loan had expired.
Honourable mention – Leon Noel
Noel cannot be included in the list because he never made a senior appearance for the L4 outfit.
The striker was a member of the Reds’ youth ranks in the early 2000s but would not be given the chance to break through into the first team.
His name is a full palindrome; his whole name is spelt the same way when reversed, which is remarkable, unlike his footballing ability.
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