Cody Gakpo proved to be an instant hit in the Liverpool squad after arriving midway through last season, with his sense of humor and nickname cementing him into the squad
Curtis Jones admits the entire Liverpool squad loved Cody Gakpo the moment he arrived at Anfield.
The Dutchman was signed last January from PSV Eindhoven after impressing for Holland at the World Cup. Mid-season moves can prove difficult, but Gakpo quickly settled in on Merseyside and scored seven times in the Premier League – including a brace in a 7-0 rout of Manchester United.
It proved a success on and off the pitch with the Dutchman building relationships on the pitch. Jones was among those who interacted with Gakpo early on and a joke about his accent saw the new signing given a nickname that has stuck.
Jones said to the We are the Liverpool Podcast: “I call him Gakkers, that’s the name he needs to stick with. Cody just came in and everyone loved him when he came in, he’s the nicest lad, but it’s hilarious. There was a moment where he was talking about my accent, saying that the accent Curtis’s is intense and I said, ‘Shut up, Guckers!’ and it just stuck,”
Gakpo continued to feature regularly on Merseyside despite competition for places, especially in the final third. He has featured in 10 of Liverpool’s Premier League outings this season, scoring four times in all competitions.
Jurgen Klopp hailed his versatility, which has increased his minutes: “Since Cody has been here, he has played in many positions. He was supposed to play in midfield but that was never the plan, we just had to do it. He is a versatile striker and gets into the box well. He is a top player and a good character.”
Gakpo’s move to Liverpool materialized quickly despite United’s interest with Erik ten Hag interested in his compatriot. He said of his move: “I heard about Liverpool’s interest – and I think five days later the deal was done,” the stylish 6ft 4in forward said before his first taste of the Merseyside derby. My manager and my brother knew for a long time, but I told them at the World Cup not to tell me anything because I have to concentrate. As soon as I heard about the interest, the feeling was “Come on, let’s go”.
Ruud van Nistelrooy, a former prolific goalscorer at United, was keen to follow in his footsteps, but Gakpo felt he had yet to achieve a significant change. “It was Ruud’s wish that I go to a big club – and I think I’ve achieved that with Liverpool,” he said.
Join our new WhatsApp community! click this link to get your daily dose Mirror Football content. We also offer our community members special offers, promotions and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check it out whenever you want. If you are curious, you can read ours Privacy notice.
TNT Sports gives you access to games across the Premier League, Champions League, Europa League, Serie A and more. You can also watch the biggest fights in boxing, UFC, WWE and exclusive action from MLB, all in one payment every month. You can watch TNT Sports via BT, EE, Sky and Virgin Media.
£29.99 a month and get access to Discovery+ Premium at no extra cost
TNT Sports