Cody Gakpo is different from most modern-day footballers. While his team-mates busied themselves on the overnight flight to Singapore with intense Netflix crime dramas, hip hop music or Candy Crush with Diogo Jota, the Dutchman spent some quality time reading the Bible.
In a straw poll of Liverpool players’ ‘sound of the summer’, the options ranged from Virgil Van Dijk’s nod to Travis Scott and Drake’s Meltdown, to Andy Robertson’s love of Neil Diamond and Mo Salah’s favourite Eminem tune Lose Yourself – but Gakpo preferred ‘gospel music’.
Gakpo has always had a religious outlook on life but that has strengthened in the past few years, a period which saw him become Netherlands’ poster-boy at the World Cup and then earn a switch to Liverpool from PSV Eindhoven last winter.
‘Not only in my career, religion helps my whole life,’ says Gakpo, who Mail Sport meets in a hotel room in the clouds with a view of Singapore’s idyllic and futuristic skyline. ‘It’s a lifestyle for me. I take the Bible with me everywhere and every day, in the UK or wherever else.
‘I speak to people about it every day, always trying to learn from it. My family is religious. For four years or something now I’ve been really trying to get to grips with it.
Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo revealed the huge impact religion has had on his life and career
Gakpo also explained how it’s difficult to decide his best position and he just wants to play
‘I was always searching for something. It’s about learning how to live your life. There’s lots of different passages I like.’
Gakpo’s down-to-earth and studious nature is refreshing and, at just 24, the £44m fee paid for the Eindhoven-born forward could be a bargain. In his seven months on Merseyside, Gakpo has played as a winger, led the line as a No 9 and showed his creativity from midfield.
It is that versatility that Jurgen Klopp loves, with both summer signings Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister also earmarked as players that can play in a number of roles.
Asked on his favourite position, Gakpo laughs and replies: ‘Just to play! There are differences and you have to change some things, go deeper and defend more. You get the ball from the central defenders when in midfield… as a striker you can’t drop that far.
‘It’s difficult (to pick my best position), it depends on the game or opponent. I just like to be in a position to get on the ball a lot. I like to carry from the midfield to the attack. I just want to get a lot of goals and assists!’
Gakpo’s best friend in the squad is compatriot Virgil Van Dijk, who has been confirmed as the club captain after the exit of Jordan Henderson. But the forward, like many of his team-mates, is still coming to terms with the fact ‘big brother’ Henderson has departed.
‘Hendo was a real captain inside and outside the field,’ says Gakpo. ‘Always there for everybody, a big personality, an example for how professional players should be. I really looked up to him.
‘I learned a lot from him. A really great man, as the coach said we will miss him. Jordan was always asking me how I was, if where I was living was OK. He was like a big brother.
Gakpo said that he is missing ‘big brother’ Jorfdan Henderson after his move to Al-Ettifaq
The forward is also loving the intensity of pre-season and is getting used to life at Liverpool
‘It’s normal when players with so much experience leave that it’s a pity for the club. But now there is room for other players to stand up (as leaders).’
Gakpo is getting used to life under Klopp and smirks as he tells Mail Sport his on-tour daily routine – ‘wake up, train, breakfast, train, rest a bit, train,’ he says – but he is loving the intensity of pre-season. Saying that, though, he was grateful for a rest during the summer.
He played 60 games last term for PSV, Liverpool and the Netherlands, which included that dramatic semi-final defeat to Argentina at the World Cup. He says Lionel Messi was his childhood hero but he has not discussed that match with Argentine Mac Allister yet.
So while many Premier League stars jetted off to party islands, Gakpo took a trip to his father’s homeland of Togo to recharge and give back to the community during the off-season.
‘It was my first time over there,’ he says. ‘It was amazing, a really nice experience to see lots of family.
‘My family does some charity work there so I helped. It is important to help, to give back as much as I can.’
Now the forward is only looking forward. He scored 20 goals and assisted 20 more in club football last term – including a brace in the 7-0 thrashing of Manchester United – but it was a disappointing year for Liverpool, finishing fifth and not winning a trophy.
On his aspirations for the new campaign, Gakpo simply adds: ‘To forget about last season. To go back to winning trophies again. That’s the plan, everybody is on board. Everybody wants to put it right.’
During the summer Gakpo handed out meals to children in his father’s homeland of Togo
The 24-year-old Dutch star expressed his desire to help Liverpool win trophies this season
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