Clarence Seedorf explains where Liverpool need to play Cody Gakpo to ‘get more out of him’

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Liverpool had a happy return to the Champions League on Tuesday after 18 months away.

The Reds spent last season in the Europa League, with their last tie in Europe’s premier competition being the dismal showing against Real Madrid in March 2023.

Tuesday’s performance was a much better one as Liverpool put AC Milan to the sword on their own patch.

It hadn’t started well for the Reds, with Christian Pulisic’s early goal signalling that Liverpool could be in for a long night. However, the Liverpool squad did not panic and slowly turned the game around.

One player who was key to them doing so was Cody Gakpo. After a quiet start to the campaign, Gakpo burst into life on Liverpool’s left wing. Despite a top quality showing from the forward, though, not everyone was quite so enthusiastic after the game.

Clarence Seedorf outlines where Cody Gakpo should play

Gakpo has so far found himself out of the starting line-up under Arne Slot. In each of Liverpool’s four games before Tuesday, the head coach has preferred Luis Diaz.

That changed against Milan, with Gakpo one of two changes Slot made to his XI. It was the Dutchman’s first start of the season.

Right from the get-go, Gakpo seemed determined to make a point. The 25-year-old looked as threatening as he ever has for Liverpool, making life difficult for Milan right-back Davide Calabria.

Virgil van Dijk praised Gakpo after the game and it was his excellent run and pull back which provided the third goal of the contest for the Reds.

The performance showed why Gakpo wants to play from the left instead of the central position he spent most of last term featuring in.

READ MORE: Federico Chiesa reacts after making his Liverpool debut against AC Milan

But speaking after Tuesday’s game on Amazon Prime Sport, former Milan midfielder Clarence Seedorf claimed that the left-sided role may not actually be the best one for Gakpo.

“I like what he did in the World Cup,” said Seedorf. “I like to give him a little bit more freedom.

“Playing on the left side constantly, of course he can do it, but I think you can get more out of him. He’s more restricted I believe when he plays on the wing.”

Alan Shearer praises Cody Gakpo

Although Seedorf was not necessarily leaping for joy about Gakpo’s display, Amazon commentator Alan Shearer was suitably impressed.

Gakpo’s best moment of the game was the run which laid on Szoboszlai’s third goal, and that very much came from his left-sided position.

And watching on during the match, Shearer claimed that Gakpo was ‘magnificent‘ in the build up to Szoboszlai’s strike.

“Magnificent from Cody Gakpo,” said the former England man. “The way he stops the defender, Pavlovic it is, stops it and goes past him. Just gives him a little bit of encouragement to think he can nick it off him.

“Wonderful goal, really good play from Gakpo.”

The next challenge for the £44m man is to get into the starting line-up and do this on a more regular basis. If it’s from the left or in a different role, that ultimately doesn’t really matter.