Cody Gakpo recalls the football trip that brought him to Liverpool with a grin on his face, a glimmer in his eye, and a joyful voice.

The No. 18 for the Reds has only been on Merseyside for a little over a year, but it has taken him almost a lifetime of determination to get to where he is now in the Anfield ranks.

Gakpo doesn’t believe it’s quite as ridiculous as it sounds, but professional football players are often jokingly said to have been born with a ball at their feet due to their exceptional talent.

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

“My older brother, who is six years my senior, was playing when I was born. When I was very tiny, maybe two or three years old, my parents took me to attend his games.

I think it was my first true taste of football, and I began playing with my brother on the same squad when I turned four. So, while he was playing in the backyard or inside the house, I sort of joined in—something my parents didn’t like, but we did it all the time when we were little.

“I was just trying to kick the ball away from him because I didn’t know how to play when I was really little.” That was the start of it all.

 

When Gakpo was six years old, he began attending Sunday afternoon games his childhood club PSV Eindhoven. He eventually became a regular member after being admitted into their school.

As football became more serious, the family’s support for him increased; he often went to training sessions with his father and elder brother and got rides from his mother to training.

He said, “They supported me every step of the way.” “Without them, I don’t think I could have finished.” I doubt I would be at Liverpool right now without them.

“They still stand by me and help me whenever I need it. My dad and I still exercise a lot together, and my brother talks a lot. When I was a kid, my parents brought me everywhere, even though they didn’t have much time.

Growing up in Eindhoven, Gakpo played video games with friends and watched Champions League broadcasts on terrestrial television, which helped shape his little knowledge of the English game. Not only were his footballing idols well-known to Liverpool followers, but they also lived not too far away.

He was very much among people he looked up to when he approached his later teenage years, working hard to make it into PSV’s first squad before being handed the chance in the senior setup under previous coach Phillip Cocu.

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

You had a lot of people, like the right winger Jefferson Farfan and the forward Abraham Afellay, even while I was at the academy, but I was already a bit older. Gini [Wijnaldum] was playing for PSV. And Memphis [Depay]. You had a fantastic squad full of talent at PSV. It was fun.

Gini was a fantastic player for PSV at the time. He played hard and won there with Memphis and Luuk de Jong. You try to go in their direction. You’re attempting to absorb their knowledge, but you don’t really want to emulate them—I was already receiving instruction at PSV. Why does what they do work for them, and what can I learn from them?

He pushed his way up to the senior division of his boyhood club, and at twenty-four, he’s already done a lot in the game.

During the Netherlands’ postponed Euro 2020 tournament in 2021–2022, Gakpo was named the Dutch Footballer of the Year. Then, in his country’s three World Cup group matches in Qatar the previous year, he scored goals.

To date, however, his most unforgettable experience is one that each ambitious football player can relate to: while captaining PSV in the 2022 KNVB Cup final, he scored the game-winning goal against Ajax.

“I believe it was the first time I shed a tear on the professional football field,” Gakpo said. It was quite emotional, just like the whole season.

Since I was the captain at the time, it seemed like a lot, and then you win and then you score. We were able to win the cup, and even though it was a very emotional day, I think that both the club and PSV became better after that.

“I think this is where you start your dream,” All people want to play in the World Cup, win the Champions League, and take home the World Cup trophy. You want to be successful in any circumstance. But when you become a bit older, you’ll understand that not everyone can succeed at it, so hard effort is necessary.

Football players commonly discuss how there’s usually nowhere to flee when making errors or experiencing negative consequences, and that internal pressure from inside overcomes external pressure.

Gakpo said, “You have to perform because you are at PSV, which is a big club, so of course there is pressure from outside.”

Here at Liverpool, it’s just the same—if not more so. In order to showcase the club’s objectives, we need to perform both collectively and individually. I can’t speak for the other players, but I think the biggest pressure is the one you put on yourself.

Because you have a family to support and you want to do all in your ability to make them proud of you, it’s the most essential thing you become involved in. I think that internal pressure is exerting more of an influence on you than external pressure.

He was warmly welcomed by Liverpool fans upon his move in January 2023, and he soon became a dependable member of Jürgen Klopp’s team. His ability to play any position on the field was a key component in his selection.

And in February, only a month after joining Anfield, Gakpo made a major impression by netting the team’s first goal in a Merseyside derby.

“I knew the Merseyside derby is a big, big thing,” he said. It seemed unreal. I would want to make a statement that is almost identical to the winning goal in the Dutch Cup.

Three weeks later, he made history by scoring twice in the amazing 7-0 victory against Manchester United.

“I think the first goal is something I practiced like my entire life,” Gakpo said. “I played as a winger.” Before coming here, I played as a winger for around five or six years. This is previously known to you; you approach from the outside, go inside, and find the extended corner.

Since I had really practiced this talent, I was happy to get the chance to show everyone what I could do. It was a snap decision, but the second was, I think, all I could do.