It was the sort of finish Mo Salah, Darwin Nunez, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino or, in fact, any of the top-class forwards who have graced Liverpool’s ruby red shirt in recent seasons would have been proud of.
Played through on goal by a defence-splitting pass on the brink of half-time, Bobby Adekanye never looked like missing. There is confidence coursing through the 23-year-old’s veins right now, and didn’t Fortuna Sittard know it.
After setting up Go Ahead Eagles’ opener in Saturday’s 2-0 win at Milaanstraat, Adekanye ensured the three points would be travelling with him back to Deventer; coolly and calmly chipping the ball over the advancing goalkeeper.
At 23, and after spells at Liverpool, Lazio, Ajax, Barcelona and PSV Eindhoven, the well-travelled Adekanye appears to have found a loving home at last in Go Ahead. With a combined eight goals and assists in just 14 Eredivisie matches, this is already the most prosperous season of Adekanye’s senior career; form he puts down to an excellent relationship with Go Ahead coach Rene Hake.
“In my career, I have not really had a close relationship with a coach,” Adekanye tells ESPN. “I am a boy who would always like to have the feeling and I have that with Rene.
“I think we can easily stay in the Eredivisie.”
FORMER LIVERPOOL FORWARD BOBBY ADEKANYE IS SHINING IN THE EREDIVISIE
Sitting tenth, there is already a seven point gap between Hake’s side and the relegation places. With their one-time Anfield starlet in such red-hot nick, expect Go Ahead to pull even further clear of the relegation zone over the coming weeks and months.
In fact, for the first time since turning down a three-year deal at Liverpool back in 2019, Adekanye looks like a man ready to unleash his undoubted potential. Better late than never.
“Liverpool offered me a contract,” Adekanye said nearly four years ago. “But I didn’t really see any plans for me in the future.
“It felt like they were just saying: ‘just sign the contract and we’ll see’, which didn’t look good to me and my family. I felt like I was ready to join the first team, even though they have a lot of talent.”
Over the last decade or so, Adekanye has represented no fewer than nine different clubs, including five since his Liverpool departure. With interest bound to be on the rise following his sudden glut of goals and assists, Go Ahead will be hoping that their nomadic attacker has plans to stay in the same postcode for a little longer than usual.
