InterviewCody Gakpo: Van Dijk told me this was the right move to make
Cody Gakpo has revealed how he received a glowing recommendation of Liverpool from Virgil van Dijk ahead of his switch to Anfield.
The 23-year-old forward will officially complete a transfer from PSV Eindhoven at the start of the January transfer window, subject to a work permit, to bolster Jürgen Klopp's options in the final third of the pitch.
Gakpo passed a medical and agreed personal terms on Wednesday at the AXA Training Centre, where he linked up with his Netherlands teammate and captain.
Speaking about Van Dijk's influence, Gakpo exclusively told Liverpoolfc.com in his first interview: "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."
Watch Gakpo's first interview as a Red in full in the LFCTV GO video above.
- Want to watch the video? Subscribe to LFCTV GO now and get a month FREE using the code GOFREE23