Liverpool new boy Cody Gakpo says Curtis Jones is helping him adjust to life at the club
The Reds signed Cody Gakpo earlier this window from Dutch outfit PSV Eindhoven for a fee of £35m. The Dutch international had a fantastic World Cup campaign and the Reds were quick to snatch him from the radar of Manchester United. The player has three appearances for the Reds already, and will slowly but surely adapt to life in Merseyside.
Prior to his transfer to the Reds, the player had 13 goals and 17 assists in 24 appearances across all competitions for PSV plus his three goals in five appearances at the World Cup added to it as well. All in all, Liverpool get a fantastic player on their hands, and it is about how the Reds use the services of the player with the club’s best interests at heart.
Obviously, the player will take time to adjust to the club, the new environment and the rest of the squad but the presence of Virgil van Dijk is surely a big help for Gakpo as Virg captains him in the national team. Moreover, Pep Lijnders who is also Dutch could help the player integrate at his new home as ever since his childhood, the player was a part of PSV and this is the first move in his career.
Gakpo and the Reds
We also have an unusual addition to the list of people who are helping Gakpo settle in at Liverpool. Local lad Curtis Jones is apparently helping the 23-year-old as well and here is what Gakpo told the club’s official website:
“Everybody is really nice. Virgil, I’ve known him a little bit longer, from the national team. He is helping me a lot, and Curtis also.”
“Just with the small things they can help me. I really appreciate that from all the guys, so I’m really grateful.”
The player got his taste of Premier League football in a not-so-nice way as the Reds faltered all along the road in their 3-0 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion. Two games against Wolves in the FA Cup would have also helped him understand English football much better than a loss to the Sussex side would have.
The Premier League is one of the most competitive and physically demanding leagues in the world. Gakpo will need to adapt to the pace and intensity of the league, as well as the tactical demands of playing for Liverpool, to be successful.
Moreover, emulating what Luis Diaz did as soon as he joined the club by taking the league by storm is very tough. Lucho is a highly skilled and experienced player, who had already played at the top level in the UEFA Champions League before joining the Reds, unlike Gakpo who is still relatively inexperienced in that matter.
As far as Curtis is concerned, it is great that the player is taking the initiative to help new signings adjust at the club, but it is also important for him to settle down at the club first as it has been forever since he is at the Reds and is yet to cement a place for himself due to his inconsistencies and frequency of injury issues as well.
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However, this process of adaptation takes time and patience, and we need to give Gakpo much more time to play how the Reds want him to. As earlier mentioned, not everyone is a Luis Diaz and it is much tougher than what the Colombian made it seem.
