Virgil van Dijk backs ‘great guy’ Cody Gakpo to deal with Liverpool ‘pressure’

“He will have to keep his head down and look at what we are doing as a group and listen to the manager, listen to the players around you and don’t listen too much to the outside world because you can be one of the best in the world one day and one of the worst the next. So it is never something in the middle, so he has to stay calm and I think he will do. He is that type of person. I will help him with that, if necessary.”

Van Dijk helped persuade Gakpo to sign and explained: “It was just normal chats, it was not that I was trying to convince him but when the time was there I gave my honest opinion and that is something I can always do.

Cody Gakpo, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Ibrahima Konate of Liverpool during a training session

“It’s very positive because I have been at this club for five years now and I have won every trophy with this beautiful club and I know how much it means – each one. To play under this manager and with these guys, it is a joy and something he will enjoy as well.”

Liverpool are without injured forwards Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino and Van Dijk believes Gakpo’s arrival will provide a boost.

He said: “We need quality players and we need players who can decide games and I think over time he can definitely be one of those players, hopefully. So quality is always welcome at this football club.”

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