Van Dijk influenced my decision to join Liverpool -Gakpo

Cody Gakpo, Liverpool’s new acquisition, has stated that Virgil van Dijk had a huge influence on his decision to join the Reds.

Remember that the pair were members of the Netherlands squad that was knocked out in the final eight of the 2022 World Cup, but they’d been in phone conversations about a possible reunion on Merseyside since then.

Gakpo, on the other hand, informed Liverpool’s official website that Van Dijk persuaded him to join the team.

“At the moment I was calling [in] with the coach, he came into the office of the coach and then he saw me and we chatted a little bit. We spoke a lot over the phone [in] the last days. What he told me was that this is the right move for me to make and for me to develop and to become a better player.

“That the club is a really big and massive club but also like a real family – I think that’s also very important for me because I’m a family guy. He said only good things. I’m also happy that he’s here, so he can help me with some stuff. I’m really grateful to be here.”

Gakpo is confident he can join forces with the likes of Mohamed Salah to further the club this term.

“He’s a fantastic player and I’m really looking forward to learning things from him and to see how he does things so I can also improve my game and that we can win a lot of games together.”

“I try to be a player who goes forward and tries to make dangerous situations for the opponent and create chances, make dribbles and give assists and goals. I hope that I can bring that also to the team.”