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Cody Gakpo’s fellow club and international Virgil van Dijk has praised him for being a “great guy” but insisted it might take “a bit of time” for him to catch up at Liverpool.
Liverpool secured the signing of the Dutch international late last month in a deal worth £44m from Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven.
The 23-year-old missed the club’s trip to Brentford earlier this week because his work permit did not arrive on time. However, the paperwork was duly completed soon after and Gakpo is set to make his club debut against Wolves on Saturday.
Cody Gakpo has been backed by international teammate Virgil van Dijk ahead of his debut.
Van Dijk, who faces a month out after picking up a hamstring injury in the 3-1 loss to Brentford, backed the player to be a success at the club.
“He’s a great player above all, but he’s also a great guy, in terms of personality,” the defender said. He will be great for the group. He is also calm and I think he can be very good for us.
“I feel like it will and it probably needs a little bit of time.” Obviously we’ll give him that and hopefully our friends will give it to him too.
The striker (left) joined Liverpool from PSV Eindhoven late last month and is expected to play for Liverpool for the first time against Wolves.
When asked about the pressure Gakpo is now under, Van Dijk did not deny that it would increase for the Dutch international, but backed him in handling it, as long as he kept his feet on the ground and listened to those around him. .
“I think he’ll handle it just fine, but you have no idea what he’s like until you’re under this kind of pressure,” he said.
“He’s going to have to keep his head down and watch what we’re doing as a group and listen to the manager, listen to the players around you and not listen to the outside world too much because you can be one of the best.” in the world one day and one of the worst the next.
Van Dijk urged the striker to listen to those around him to help him become a “quality” player for the club.
“So it’s never something in the middle, so he has to stay calm and I think he will.” He is that kind of person. I’ll help you with that, if necessary.
With the club facing a long injury list, with the likes of Diogo Jota, Luis Díaz and Roberto Firmino, the arrival of Gakpo will bring a breather for Jurgen Klopp in terms of striker selections.
The defender rooted for Gakpo to become a decisive player for the club over time and bring some much-needed quality to what appears to be a depleted team.
“We need quality players and we need players who can decide games,” Van Dijk said. “I think in time he can definitely be one of those players, hopefully. So quality is always welcome at this football club.’
jurgen klopp
Many Liverpool supporters noted Van Dijk’s closeness to the player at the World Cup, although some considered it almost inevitable that he would soon end up at Manchester United.
Liverpool’s big rivals had taken an interest in him since the summer and had long been bookmakers’ favorites to pick up the striker.
However, in typical style, Liverpool pounced with little to no fuss and secured the deal in a matter of days.
It led some to speculate that Van Dijk himself had a significant role in obtaining the transfer, something he was reluctant to accept.
He said: ‘It was just normal chats, it wasn’t like I was trying to convince him, but when the time came I gave my honest opinion and that’s something I can always do.
“It’s very positive because I’ve been at this club for five years and I’ve won all the trophies with this beautiful club and I know how much each one means.” Playing with this coach and these guys is a joy and something he will enjoy too.”
Van Dijk’s comments come amid Klopp praising Gakpo for joining Liverpool with the club at a difficult time.
Klopp’s side are currently seven points out of the top four, having dropped more points this season than they had in all of last season.
“There were easier times to join Liverpool,” Klopp said. ‘Last year, we weren’t qualified for the Champions League yet, but it looked like it would happen.
‘This year, we can’t guarantee that, but Cody never asked. From time to time players ask: “Do you think you can make it to the Champions League?” but he can read the table himself, so he knew it would be a difficult decision.
“But what I like about this is that it’s obviously a guy who doesn’t want to get on a moving train, he wants to push the train. I like this a lot. Good for him too, because it always helps in life if you’re a bit like that. That’s how it is.’