Interview'One of his biggest qualities is...' - Cody Gakpo on what Jeremie Frimpong will bring to Liverpool
Cody Gakpo expects Jeremie Frimpong to add plenty to a Liverpool squad determined to build on last season’s Premier League title win.
Frimpong became the fourth Netherlands international in Arne Slot’s group earlier this summer as he joined Gakpo, Ryan Gravenberch and Virgil van Dijk when completing his transfer from Bayer Leverkusen.
Gakpo knows the versatile right-sided player well, then, and believes he offers an array of attributes that will further enhance the champions’ qualities.
The No.18 told Liverpoolfc.com on tour in Hong Kong: “[He will bring] a lot. I think he has a lot of quality but I think one of his biggest qualities is he is maybe already the fastest player on the team.
“He is very fast, he has a good cross, he can defend, he can attack. I think he can help us a lot.”
Another Dutchman, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, has also joined the Reds this summer.
A former international player with more than 100 caps to his name, Van Bronckhorst has also managed clubs including Feyenoord and Glasgow Rangers. He is now assistant coach in Slot’s backroom staff.
Gakpo continued: “As a player, he has a lot of experience. And also as a manager.
“I think he can teach us a lot from what he experienced in his career, as a player and as a manager. He has a lot to tell how it was as a player and the teams he played in, so I think everybody is very curious [about] what he has for us.”
The forward was speaking immediately after Liverpool’s first on-pitch training session of their pre-season tour of Asia.
Having arrived in Hong Kong on Monday, the Reds completed a workout on Tuesday morning, with Saturday’s game against AC Milan at Kai Tak Stadium in their sights.
Slot’s squad will then head to Japan, where they will play Yokohama F. Marinos, before returning to Merseyside a little more than a week before the FA Community Shield meeting with Crystal Palace.
“The manager said it was a light session to start the week with, so we are curious to see what tomorrow will bring! But it was a good session to get used to the weather and everything,” Gakpo said.
“Yeah, of course [pre-season is stepping up now]. I think we grew into pre-season for obvious reasons, and now we are here and I think the intensity will go up. We have to prepare for the season.
“Obviously we had a great season last year and we want to get better as a team. And to challenge again for the title and for Europe.”
Liverpool’s players have been greeted with warmth and fervour from supporters since landing in Hong Kong and Gakpo continued: “It’s amazing. Even when we arrived at the hotel, a lot of people were cheering for us. They will never let us down.
“Like we say, You’ll Never Walk Alone. They are everywhere, it’s amazing. We are all looking forward to the game there with a lot of people.”