Liverpool star Cody Gakpo has been on a path to the top since joining PSV’s academy in 2007.
Gakpo moved to Liverpool from the Eindhoven giants in 2023 and has been a key component as the Reds have transitioned from life under Jurgen Klopp to an imperious charge towards the title in Arne Slot’s debut season.
The 25-year-old is the latest player to share his story with The Players’ Tribune and has revealed the sign from God that kept him in the Eredivisie instead of an earlier move to England and what might have been a very different journey.
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Gakpo’s dad is a man with standards
“I remember I came home from a match last season and I didn’t have a great performance,” wrote the Netherlands international.
“It was one of those cold, rainy Liverpool days, and all I wanted to do when I got home was chill. But my dad wasn’t having any of it.”
“We go to my garden and practice some mistake I made 10, 20 times, until I can do it with my eyes closed. He’ll usually ask one of my brothers to come as well to play as the defender,” Gakpo continued.
Gakpo’s dad has been actively involved in his career from the beginning, playing out the same practice and correction routine time and again, sometimes for an hour and sometimes from sunrise to sunset.
“My dad didn't always see things the same as the [PSV academy coaches]. There was no conflict or anything like that, he just wanted to teach me his own things as well. Even though his son made it into the academy, he still wanted to be Dad, you know? So he continued to train me.
“My dad made me into a student of the game, but it was my mom who made me believe. You can tell your mom anything, right?”
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“She was a former rugby player, so she was a strong woman, but she was also very loving and kind. Every time I’d tell her my crazy dreams of being a pro footballer, I remember she was never like, ‘Oh, we’ll see,’ how parents sometimes are. She supported me and made me feel like I could do it.”
Gakpo’s drive and ability eventually took him to Liverpool but an earlier move to England was a distinct possibility. In 2022, Gakpo was attracting the interest of Manchester United but it came to nothing when the Red Devils picked up Anthony from PSV’s great rivals, Ajax.
Leeds United and Southampton were options too.
“I prayed, and I asked God for guidance. But you see, I had to make sure I got his message,” wrote Gakpo.
“So I said, If I score only one time, I’ll go to Southampton. If I score two times, I’ll go to Leeds. If I score three times, I’ll stay.
“I scored twice. I was also involved in a third goal – and at first, it was called as an own goal. Then I was subbed out. So, two goals, right? I thought, Ah, OK, it’s Leeds then. I was at peace with my decision.
“But after the game, they gave me the goal. I scored three, so my fate changed. I stayed at PSV.”
It’s not clear what would have happened if Gakpo had drawn a blank that day. Regardless, he stayed in Eindhoven and then went to the World Cup, where he convinced Liverpool of his worth.
23 Premier League goals later, it’s fair to say both parties are happy with the outcome.
