Cody Gakpo has named Virgil van Dijk as his closest Liverpool teammate, with the pair knowing each other well before the winger’s move to Anfield this year.
Speaking to Liverpool’s official Twitter account, the 24-year-old forward named his Dutch international teammate as his closest friend at the club, with Gakpo saying: “Obviously Virgil. I’m really close to him and he helps me a lot.”
Having been a senior international for the Netherlands since 2021, it is perhaps no real surprise why Van Dijk is the player Gakpo shares the closest friendship with in the Liverpool squad.
The former PSV Eindhoven star was Holland’s main talisman at the 2022 FIFA World Cup where Gakpo scored an impressive three goals, with Van Dijk the captain for the tournament.
And it appears that the pair’s friendship has only grown stronger since Gakpo’s move to Liverpool, Van Dijk’s imminent promotion to captain likely to make the bond even bigger in the coming seasons.
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Van Dijk can help push Gakpo reach his limits at Liverpool
It’s perhaps no real surprise that Gakpo’s closest Liverpool teammate is the one the winger has known for the best part of two years. Yet Van Dijk could be key in pushing the attacker to become his best at the club.
Indeed, the 32-year-old defender’s ability to raise the game of others around him has been evident ever since Van Dijk’s move to Liverpool, and Gakpo could be the next to benefit from the centre-back’s quality.
With next season set to be a massive one for the Dutch pair, Gakpo could become even better with the help of Van Dijk, with the forward on course to become a world-class attacker at Liverpool in the coming years.