As of Thursday, it has been exactly 12 months since the transfer agreement that brought Dutch forward Cody Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven to Anfield, marking the beginning of his journey with Liverpool. In his half-century of appearances for the club, Gakpo has contributed 14 goals and has quickly adapted to life on Merseyside.

Expressing his contentment and sense of belonging, Gakpo credits the warmth and support from the Liverpool supporters for his seamless integration into the team. In an interview with Liverpoolfc.com, he reflected on his first year, saying, “A year with obviously really good moments, some lesser-good moments, but I’m happy to be here and hopefully beautiful moments to come.”

Describing the club as an amazing family, Gakpo expressed gratitude for the unwavering support from the fans. He said, “The supporters are amazing every game and show love to all of us. I appreciate it and I love being here.”

Looking ahead to his second year with Liverpool, Gakpo has both personal and team-oriented aspirations. He hopes to achieve success on both levels and emphasized the big dreams and goals that the team is collectively working towards.

Reflecting on his quick settling into the team, Gakpo acknowledged that it typically takes time for a player to adjust to a new environment but felt at home rapidly. He expressed optimism for the future, stating, “It’s an amazing club, and hopefully many more beautiful moments will come for me and for the team.”

Currently sitting at the top of the Premier League, Liverpool, under the management of Jürgen Klopp, is having a successful season. Gakpo and his teammates are gearing up for the new year, starting with a match against Newcastle United at Anfield on Monday night. Despite the pressure that comes with being in the top position, Gakpo highlighted the team’s focus on taking each game as it comes and their collective strength.

He continued: “I think we are doing really good from the beginning of the season and we have a good group.

“This game, even though we are in first place, we just go into this game like it’s a really important game – like every other game.

“Of course it brings pressure to be in the top position in the league but I think we don’t see it like that. We are just really focused on that one game we have to play in that moment, and I think that’s also a strength of the team.

Anticipating a challenging game against Newcastle, Gakpo emphasized the need for hard work, unity, and a fighting spirit. He acknowledged Newcastle’s quality but expressed confidence in Liverpool’s ability to approach the game with determination and emerge victorious. Gakpo is hopeful for a great game with Liverpool on top at the end.

“They [Newcastle] have a really good team. Obviously we have to work really hard, we have to fight together, stick together even through the difficult moments maybe that will come in the game – hopefully not but it’s a world-class team as well.

“It’s hopefully going to be a great game with us on top at the end.”