Jurgen Klopp names the Liverpool player who has been just like Taki Minamino in this year’s Carabao Cup

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It’s fair to say that Takumi Minamino had a slightly odd Liverpool career.

Having joined the club while they were rampantly on their way to the Premier League title, Minamino had to deal with the COVID enforced lockdown just a couple of months after arriving.

From there, the Japan international struggled to really adapt to the club and the expectations on it. A loan spell to Southampton for the second-half of 2020/21 suggested that Liverpool thought he wasn’t quite ready just yet.

Having returned for 2021/22, that sentiment lingered a little. Minamino started just one Premier League game throughout the whole season. Nevertheless, the former RB Salzburg forward still made his mark in the domestic cups, scoring seven goals along the way to Liverpool winning both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup.

And as the Reds prepare to take part in another Carabao final tomorrow, Jurgen Klopp has told liverpoolfc.com that the team of 2023/24 might have found their very own Minamino.

“There are different opportunities to write history, if you want. Because obviously Liverpool fans never forget,” said the Reds manager. “Two years ago it was probably the competition of Taki Minamino with the goals he scored, he brought us to the final. That’s now probably Cody Gakpo with the goals he scored in the competition.”

Gakpo the new Minamino

Heading into tomorrow’s final, Gakpo actually has an identical record as Minamino did in 2021/22. Both players featured five times and scored four in the Carabao Cup.

In the end, although it ended in victory for Liverpool, Minamino may have had a right to feel a little disappointed ay Wembley in 2022.

Despite his goal-scoring exploits in the competition that year, the Japanese didn’t feature at all over the 120 minutes against Chelsea. That must have been frustrating.

As Klopp says though, Liverpool fans don’t forget, and Minamino’s part in that triumph – as well as that in the FA Cup three months later – is well remembered. The boss himself has spoken to that in the past, as well.

For Gakpo, he has the possibility to go one better than Taki tomorrow. With doubts still surrounding the involvement of Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah, the Dutchman looks set to start against the Blues.

One behind current competition top scorer Morgan Rogers of Middlesbrough/Aston Villa, Gakpo could also make himself the outright best marksman.

Having scored in Liverpool’s last two games, the 24-year-old is in decent form in front of goal.

If he can add to that tomorrow, then Gakpo will unquestionably become the man of the Reds Carabao Cup campaign.

Minamino perhaps never got quite the credit he deserved for ensuring Liverpool battled on all four fronts two years ago. As they do the same this season, Gakpo’s taking over that baton.