Dutch international Cody Gakpo joined Liverpool from PSV Eindhoven in the middle of last season. At Eredivisie, he mainly played on the left wing, but at Anfield, he has been used more as a center forward or in midfield, and he is still getting used to his position.
Still, he is powerful and propulsive when he looks forward. His ability to handle the ball well, work with others to score goals, and play in a variety of positions has made him a valuable utility player, as he was used in midfield in the first few games this season.
He has scored six goals in 17 games for the Dutch national team. Ronald Koeman, the national team’s coach, has no doubt that the player will continue to develop and stressed that he needs more time to get used to the Premier League.
“You have to understand that Gakpo is still a young player,”
“When he first went to Liverpool, the team was struggling and that made it difficult for him to make a quick impact.”
“If you join a team that is doing well, then you have a chance to come in when the moment is right, but Liverpool needed something quickly and that was tough.”
“You have to give him that time to develop and to adapt to the Premier League because it’s a different level.”
“I know from my time in England that the intensity is much higher than he used to play in Holland but he’s young and he will learn and he will be better, but he has a great future. You can see his quality.”
Despite joining the club in January, he has had a reasonable season with seven goals and three assists in 21 games in the Premier League, which is not too pessimistic considering that it is a position he is not used to.
He has scored no goals in four games this season, but it is not that much of a performance to be blamed for, as he is also used at inside half.
As the national coach says, he is still young, only 24 years old, and has the potential to develop rapidly in the future.
Can Cody Gakpo make a remarkable performance at Anfield and awaken to become one of the legends of the game…?