C. Gakpo🇳🇱

Early Life

Cody Mathes Gakpo was born on May 7, 1999 in Eindhoven, Netherlands. He grew up in the home city of PSV and joined their academy as a young boy, developing through every age group of the club. His tall frame, pace, and impressive technical quality made him a standout in Dutch youth football.

Breakthrough

Gakpo broke into PSV's first team and became the Eredivisie's most dangerous forward, scoring 23 goals and adding 14 assists in 2022-23 before Liverpool paid £44M. Manchester United had been close to signing him on deadline day but Liverpool moved quickly in January 2023.

Career

His first season at Liverpool was a difficult adaptation but produced important goals. As he grew into the Anfield system, his versatility — playing wide or centrally — became a valuable asset. He also became the Netherlands' top scorer at a World Cup, netting three goals in Qatar 2022 before Netherlands went out to Argentina.

Personal Life

Gakpo is calm and composed in how he presents himself publicly. He is deeply religious — his faith is a central part of his identity and he thanks God openly after goals. He has spoken about the support of his family and the PSV community in shaping who he is.

Legacy

A player who arrived at Liverpool with questions and answered them with consistency and important goals. His development has been steady rather than spectacular, but the trajectory points upward.

Liverpool signed Gakpo ahead of Manchester United, who had been close to agreeing a deal on deadline day

He scored three World Cup goals in 2022 as Netherlands reached the quarter-finals

Gakpo grew up at PSV Eindhoven, the club in his home city of Eindhoven

He is deeply religious and regularly thanks God in post-match interviews

His PSV performances in 2022 made him one of the most sought-after forwards in Europe