Jurgen Klopp hails Cody Gakpo after first season in Liverpool, calls him a ‘super footballer’
Jurgen Klopp has hailed the intelligence of Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo, as he continues to adapt at Anfield.
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Cody Gekpo and Klopp
Jurgen Klopp has acknowledged the footballing intelligence of Cody Gakpo after Liverpool beat Leicester City 3-0. The Reds made it seven successive wins and extended their unbeaten run to nine in the Premier League. Gakpo was used in a center-forward role against Leicester.
Klopp said, “He is a super footballer and a smart person I never for a second thought that he was only 24, but he is young. He was captain at his previous club (PSV), which is special. And then you meet the boy and you think: ‘Ah OK, now I understand why.’ He eats football, each piece of information we give him is so natural for him to put it on the pitch.”
Klopp has also added, “He is in a position he has never played before but he enjoys it a lot. We need him there and he is very cool that he can play three or four positions but he has adapted pretty quickly.”. Gakpo has scored six times since moving from PSV for an initial £37m at the start of January.
Gakpo has slowly become one of Liverpool’s most important players since he arrived from PSV Eindhoven in January. Playing from the left of the attack, through the center, or even in midfield, the 24-year-old has shown an impressive range in the last five months. And speaking in his post-Leicester press conference yesterday, Klopp praised how quickly Gakpo has taken his ideas on board.
Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher on Liverpool full-back’s impact
Gary Neville believes Trent Alexander-Arnold could become an all-time great if he becomes a “half-decent defender”. Gary Neville said, “He’s been a key player for four of five years. His ability on the ball, what he’s doing – in terms of his contribution to Liverpool’s attack – is unprecedented. I’ve never seen a full-back have an impact on a team like he does.”
He also added, “It’s just, sometimes, he gets caught one on one, or looks like he just doesn’t do the basics well, when they’re away from home or playing in a massive match in Europe. If he was even just half a decent defender, he would be one of the greatest full-backs of all-time – and he still can be.”
Jamie Carragher added: “If I’m Gareth Southgate, I’d be thinking he’s challenging the midfielder players, as well. Don’t forget, it was Southgate who put him in midfield before anyone and Klopp criticized him for it. When you talk about England’s midfield options, [there is] Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham – but there isn’t much behind that. I think he could be pushing there. Forget the hybrid role: he could play the midfield role for England.”
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Arpan Ghosh
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