Cody Gakpo remembers the football trip that led him to Liverpool with joy in his voice, a smile on his face, and a gleam in his eye.

Even though the Reds’ No. 18 has only been on Merseyside for a little over a year, his perseverance has taken him nearly a lifetime to reach his current position in the Anfield ranks.

Professional football players are so skilled that it’s sometimes quipped that they must have been born with a ball at their feet, but Gakpo doesn’t think it’s exactly as absurd as it sounds.

As part of Kodansha’s InspiRED series, Gakpo said to Liverpoolfc.com, “We have a family that loves football.”

“My elder brother was playing when I was born, and he is six years my senior. I went to see his games with my parents when I was pretty little, maybe two or three years old.

That was probably the first time I ever really experienced football, and when I turned four, I also started playing for the same team as my brother. I therefore kind of joined in while he was playing in the garden or inside the home, something my parents didn’t like but we did all the time when we were kids.

“I didn’t know how to play when I was really little, so I was just trying to kick the ball away from him.” That’s where it all began.

 

Gakpo started going to boyhood club PSV Eindhoven on Sundays when he was six years old. Eventually, he was accepted into their academy and signed on as a regular member.

The family’s support for him grew as football became more serious; he often attended training sessions with his dad and older brother and received rides to training from his mother.

“They helped me every step of the way,” he said. “I don’t think I could have done it without them.” Without them, I don’t think I would be at Liverpool right now.

“They continue to support me and assist me at every turn. My brother speaks a lot, and my dad and I continue to train a lot together. Despite their lack of time, my parents took me everywhere when I was a child.

Gakpo’s limited understanding of the English game was formed while growing up in Eindhoven by watching Champions League broadcasts on terrestrial television and playing video games with pals. His footballing heroes, who are well-known to Liverpool supporters, were also quite near to home.

As he entered his later adolescent years, he was very much among those he looked up to, working hard to break into PSV’s first squad before being given the opportunity in the senior setup under former coach Phillip Cocu.

Regarding his early role models, Gakpo remarked, “In the beginning it was like PSV players because you don’t really know anything else besides the Netherlands.”

Even when I was in the academy, you had a lot of guys, such [Jefferson] Farfan, the right winger, and [Ibrahim] Afellay, but I was already a little older. PSV had Gini [Wijnaldum] on the field. Memphis as well [Depay]. At PSV, you had a great team full of players. It was enjoyable.

“At the time, Gini was an excellent player for PSV. There, he, Memphis, and Luuk de Jong played hard and emerged as champs. You attempt to follow their lead. You’re trying to learn from them, but you don’t really want to be like them—I was training at PSV already. What can I learn from them, and why does what they do work for them?

After forcing his way into the senior levels of his childhood club, he has already accomplished a great deal in the game at the age of 24.

Gakpo won the Dutch Footballer of the Year award in 2021–2022 while playing for the Netherlands in the postponed Euro 2020 competition. He then scored goals in three consecutive World Cup group matches for his nation in Qatar last year.

His most memorable moment to date, though, is one that every aspiring football player can identify with—scoring the game-winning goal against Ajax in the 2022 KNVB Cup final while captaining PSV.

Gakpo said, “I think it was the first time I cried on the pitch in professional football.” Like the entire season, it was really emotional.

It felt like a lot, and then you win and then you score, since I was the captain at the moment. Although it was an extremely emotional day, I’m thrilled that we were able to win the cup, and I believe that both the club and PSV improved after that.

“I believe that this is the dream that you begin.” Everyone dreams of playing in the World Cup, winning the Champions League, and winning the World Cup. Your goal is to triumph in every situation. But as you become a little older, you’ll realize that hard work is required because it’s not for everyone.

Football players frequently talk about how internal pressure from within outweighs external pressure, and that there’s frequently nowhere to run when making mistakes or getting bad outcomes.

“You’re at PSV, which is a big club, so of course there’s pressure from outside and you have to perform,” Gakpo went on.

It’s exactly the same here at Liverpool, [but] even more so. To demonstrate the goals of the club, we must perform both as a group and as individuals. Although I can’t speak for the other players, I believe that the pressure you place on yourself is most.

It’s the most important thing you get engaged in because you have a family to support and you want to do everything in your power to make them happy and proud of you. I believe that you are feeling pressure more from the inside than the outside.

After transferring in January 2023, he was quickly embraced by Liverpool supporters and established himself as a mainstay in Jürgen Klopp’s squad. His versatility was a major factor in his selection at every position on the field.

And only one month after arriving at Anfield, in February, Gakpo made a huge impact by scoring his first goal for the team in a Merseyside derby.

He remarked, “I knew the Merseyside derby is a big, big thing.” It didn’t seem real. I want to say something that is almost the same as the Dutch Cup winning goal.

Three weeks later, he scored twice in the incredible 7-0 triumph over Manchester United, making it a day for the record books.

“I played as a winger, so I think the first goal is something I practiced like my entire life,” Gakpo said. I spent about five or six years playing as a winger before moving here. You already know this; you enter from the outside, make your way inside, and locate the long corner.

It was a skill I had truly practiced, so I was glad I had the opportunity to demonstrate my abilities to everyone. The second was—I believe—the only thing I could do, so it was a split-second choice.