Netherlands manager claims 'struggling' Liverpool hampered Cody Gakpo

Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman has backed Cody Gakpo to become even better after overcoming a difficult start to life at Liverpool.

A £35m signing in the January transfer window, Gakpo had been widely expected to join Manchester United before Liverpool swooped in and struck a deal, but his first few months at Anfield were a little awkward as he transitioned from a winger into a striker.

Gakpo was learning in a Liverpool team that relied on an immense run of form in the final weeks of the season to scrape into the Europa League spot, and Koeman has admitted he did not see the best of the 24-year-old during his first six months in England.

“You have to understand that Gakpo is still a young player,” Koeman told the press. “When he first went to Liverpool, the team was struggling and that made it difficult for him to make a quick impact.

“If you join a team that is doing well, then you have a chance to come in when the moment is right, but Liverpool needed something quickly and that was tough. You have to give him that time to develop and to adapt to the Premier League because it’s a different level.

“I know from my time in England that the intensity is much higher than he used to play in Holland but he’s young and he will learn and he will be better, but he has a great future. You can see his quality.”

Gakpo, who has also been used as a central midfielder this season, recently admitted learning a new position took its toll but has helped him become more “complete”.

“In the beginning it always takes some getting used to when you are in a different position, but then it is also important to pick it up quickly and show that I am versatile as a player,” he told Voetbal International. “You just want to play and be of value, it doesn’t matter where.”

Gakpo added: “[Jurgen Klopp] sees me as an attacker, but I can also bring those attacking impulses from midfield. That’s the reason I also get minutes there. We also play very dynamically, so that we have the space to change positions. This often happens naturally.

“Developing myself in several areas also suits me as a person. That’s how I am, and that also applies to my development on the field. That also reflects on how I am as a player, that it is important for me to become a more complete player.”