Jürgen Klopp believes it is a mark of Cody Gakpo’s character and commitment that he joined Liverpool while Champions League qualification is uncertain, describing the new signing as someone “who doesn’t want to jump on a running train, he wants to push the train”.
The Netherlands’ World Cup forward is in line for his Liverpool debut on Saturday when Wolves visit in the FA Cup third round. Gakpo had several options when leaving PSV Eindhoven, including Manchester United, but was set on Liverpool after talks with Klopp and the Netherlands’ captain, Virgil van Dijk.
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The 23-year-old’s preference for a club that cannot guarantee Champions League football next season speaks volumes, Klopp insists, about the player and Liverpool.
“There were easier moments to join Liverpool,” said the manager, who confirmed Van Dijk would be out for at least a month with the hamstring injury sustained at Brentford on Monday.
“Last year [in January] we were not qualified for the Champions League already but it looked like that would happen. This year we cannot guarantee that, but Cody never asked. From time to time players ask: ‘Do you think you can make the Champions League?’ But he can read the table himself so he knew it would be a tight decision.
“What I like about this is that he is obviously a guy who doesn’t want to jump on a running train, he wants to push the train. I like that a lot. Good for him because it always helps in life if you are a little bit like that.
“You know Liverpool is a massive club and what we can give to players is the size of the club, but also the feeling inside that we are really close together. We describe it internally as a family and it’s exactly like that. We sing birthday songs for everybody, everybody gets flowers at the right moment, we don’t forget the personal thing and that is what Virgil probably told him.
“We could be more successful on the pitch at the moment, yes, definitely, but everyone knows we fight with all we have for getting there again and we will get there. It’s always tough in these moments and I really like the fact he decided pretty quickly: ‘That’s the right club for me.’ It speaks volumes about him.”
Klopp believes bigger squads may be the only solution to the increasing workload on top players such as Van Dijk, who sustained a rare muscle injury in his 30th game of the season for club and country.
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“This is what I am talking about all the time when I say we have to reduce games, FA Cup replays or whatever,” he said. “It’s just because the best players play all the time. People tell us to leave them out and rotate but who leaves their best players out? It’s not that easy.
“We have to sort that in the future with bigger squads I think and more level squads internally. Is that possible? I don’t know. But it’s probably the only way to deal with it for international and club teams. It’s the direction we have to develop in if nobody reduces the games.”
