Exclusive chat with Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo over his transformation under Arne Slot and his League Cup 'coincidence' ahead of Wembley final against Newcastle United on Sunday
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Cody Gakpo of Liverpool
Cody Gakpo of Liverpool(Image: MB Media/Getty Images)
Arne Slot didn't see much reason for change when taking over as Liverpool boss from Jurgen Klopp. But there was one alteration that continues to pay rich dividends for the Reds.
And the Anfield side will be hoping that trend continues as they aim to beat Newcastle United at Wembley and claim the trophy for a record-breaking 11th time.
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When Cody Gakpo arrived at Liverpool from PSV Eindhoven in January 2023, it was having forged his reputation as a devastating left winger for both his club and the Holland national team.
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Yet under Jurgen Klopp, versatility soon became the watchword of the Dutchman, answering the call in a variety of positions across the front line and, on a couple of occasions, in central midfield too.
That, though, came to an end the moment Arne Slot stepped in as Klopp’s successor and, seeking a fresh start for the squad, sought clarity for Gakpo.
“One of my first conversations with the manager here was about the position,” says the forward, speaking exclusively to the ECHO. “I was wondering what he thought, because I knew also that I can do a lot better than I did before if I play in my right position
“Obviously he knew me already from the Netherlands, and I’d just come back from the Euros which were good for me.
“He just said ‘you have to focus on the left wing, I'm not going tell you that you're going play all the games because we have Lucho (Luis Diaz) and other players who can come in and play who are really good, but if you come in or if you play, this is most likely the position you will play’.
“So there was already for me a kind of a relief that I can develop there and become the player I always imagine I can be. So I'm working towards that point now and hopefully I can get better than I am today and help the team more as much as I can.”
The League Cup final represents an opportunity for Liverpool to claim silverware under new boss Slot at the earliest opportunity. And with the Reds also chasing down the Premier League title, the tweaks brought in by Gakpo’s compatriot continue to have a major impact.
“The style of play is a bit different for the whole team, a little bit more possession-based,” says the attacker. “The intensity in defending is still the same, but with the ball, the manager has tried to implement some different tactics. Those two things in particular are things that changed most for me.
“Why do I enjoy it on the left so much? Because I played there all my life, in senior football at least, except for two years which was the last two years I was here. That’s one reason. And another is I think also the qualities that I have, I can really use them from that position.”
Regardless of where he has played, Gakpo has become something of a League Cup specialist at Liverpool. Having scored in every round bar the final last season, the 25-year-old has again found the competition to his liking by once more netting in the third round, fourth round, quarter-final and semi-final.
No player in the current Reds squad has scored more goals in the League Cup for the club than the nine Gakpo has managed in his 11 outings so far.
“I think it's coincidence,” he says. “I think also last season, obviously, those also were the games I played almost like 90 minutes, so the chance to score in them is a little bit higher.
“This season, also the first two games in the League Cup, because I wasn't starting in the Premier League, those were also the games I played and in the first two I scored four already.
“So it’s a coincidence, but it's nice to score so it doesn't matter what the competition is.”
Had matters been different, Gakpo could have been lining up against Liverpool at Wembley this month. Newcastle had been suitors of the forward for several years before, with Manchester United also sniffing around, the Reds made their move in the aftermath of the player impressing in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar where Holland reached the quarter-finals.
But of the interest from the North East, Gakpo says: “There was nothing concrete that I have heard about. Maybe there was some interest, but it was not to the point that I could sign or something, so that I'm not aware of that.”
One of Gakpo’s undervalued attributes is his durability. The Dutchman is rarely on the sidelines – he had missed just four games in more than two years before the recent foot injury from which he returned this week – which made him a key player 12 months ago when Liverpool’s squad was decimated by an unprecedented injury crisis.
It meant an exhausted Gakpo had been substituted by the time Virgil van Dijk’s header won the League Cup late in extra time against Chelsea for a Liverpool team that had to call on Academy graduates Conor Bradley, James McConnell, Bobby Clark and Jayden Danns.
Not that the forward enjoyed the experience on the bench. “Watching the extra time period last year, I was very nervous!” he says. “You saw that both teams were very tired at one point, nobody was tracking back any more and every counter-attack was a chance.
“So we were very nervous on the bench and then eventually a great header from Virgil sealed the deal.
“Winning something is always a highlight so lifting the League Cup would be the best thing for me at Liverpool so far. We won it last year and we want to win it again.”