Liverpool lost 5-2 to Real Madrid in Tuesday night’s Champions League, but Ruud van Nistelrooy believes Cody Gakpo put in a ‘strong’ performance for Jürgen Klopp’s side.
The Dutchman joined the Reds from PSV last month and has shown glimpses of his potential in recent weeks.
The former Manchester United striker and now PSV manager believes the 23-year-old could have settled quickly on Merseyside.
“I thought Cody [Gakpo] Strong,” Van Nistelrooy told De Telegraaf (via Football365). “The first 20 minutes are the same as all of Liverpool. They blew Real Madrid and Cody was strong.
“He had some great moments saving the ball, like playing the ball to the flanks and moving well. Looked very sharp.
“But it was the same in the derbies against Newcastle United and Everton.
Read more: Liverpool transfer blow as 21-year-old defender said won’t be sold in summer
Before suffering a disastrous defeat to the La Liga giants earlier this week, Gakpo was playing confidently, scoring goals in his last two games for the Reds.
He got off to a good start against Carlo Ancelotti’s side but was very quiet in the second half before being replaced by Bobby Firmino just after the hour mark.
We are still unsure where the Netherlands perform best, and although he is centrally positioned (like the Netherlands at the World Cup), he often acts as a left winger. The campaign kicked off brilliantly on PSV.
Before moving to the Premier League, Gakpo had 13 goals and 17 assists in 30 appearances (in all competitions).
The best is yet to come from the versatile forward, but let’s hope he finishes the campaign strong to end the season in the Top 4.
40% of Liverpool’s summer loans failed – what happened to the club’s loan system?