Cody Gakpo is enjoying the details of his first pre-season at Liverpool as he looks to capitalize on his first seven months at the club.
The Dutch international, who was recruited from PSV Eindhoven in January, has scored seven goals for the Reds in the second half of 2022-23.
He is currently in the midst of his first summer as part of Jürgen Klopp’s squad, who is now in Singapore preparing for the new season.
Gakpo and company will take on Leicester City at the national stadium on Sunday and Bayern Munich next Wednesday, with both matches live on LFCTV and LFCTV GO.
Before meeting the Foxes, we sat down with Gakpo at the team hotel to hear his take on Singapore’s welcome, stepping up the preseason, the Reds’ offensive options and why he sets goals. Read the chat with Liverpoolfc.com below…
Cody, it’s your second day in Singapore, how are you finding things?
Yeah, well, it’s a little hot outside, it’s hot. But it’s nice, people are very nice. I like it here, so it’s cool.
It’s your first experience of a pre-season tour with Liverpool, so how great is it to see the club’s global fan base? It’s really big and it’s so much fun to watch, there are fans all over the world. And they really support us, so we really appreciate that.
There are only two weeks until Chelsea start the season. How ready are you and the team as the match approaches?
I think everything is fine. We trained a lot in Germany; Tough sessions, good sessions, tactics, everything. So yes, here we are. In the end we have to be ready, so we are working towards that point and I think everyone is really excited to start the season again.
Did it particularly help you because you had no pre-season chance since you arrived halfway through last season? Did the intensity of the sessions help you adapt even more? Pre-season is always good to really fit into the team and learn the style of play the way the manager wants to see it. In pre-season you can go into more detail than in mid-season. So it helps tremendously.
Sunday is Leicester, with a new manager and changes for them. What do you expect from the game? It’s going to be a good match, we know Leicester of course and they’re a good team. For us, it’s about making sure we’re as fit as we want and ready as we are. [There’s] still a lot to improve and it’s a good game and we’re really looking forward to it.
As for the forwards, there must be a lot of positive energy in the squad as you all scored in pre-season…
I think it’s important for the attackers to score as soon as possible. I must say that the atmosphere is good with everyone and we are really focused at the moment to start the season well. That’s what we work for.
Are you someone who sets goals or assists goals ahead of a new season?
Yes, I think it’s important to set some goals for yourself and as a team. That’s just to become a better player and do the best for the team.
