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Kostas Tsimikas shares what Cody Gakpo has done at Liverpool that’s really impressed him
Liverpool are having a great season as they sit top of the Premier League table and also cruised through to the last 16 of the Champions League.
The Reds are also in the fourth round of the FA Cup and are still in the semi-finals of the League Cup, so the hopes of a quadruple remain alive.
Arne Slot has done a great job at Liverpool since taking over from Jurgen Klopp. Indeed, many Reds players have improved under Slot.
Cody Gakpo is one such player, having gone from strength to strength under Slot and scoring crucial goals for Liverpool.
Kostas Tsimikas has now sung Gakpo’s praises as he shared what has really impressed him about the £35million Dutchman.
READ MORE: Liverpool fans make Cody Gakpo claim after resounding win over Ipswich
Kostas Tsimikas hails ‘great’ Liverpool teammate Cody Gakpo
Tsimikas has described Gakpo as a “great, great player” and how adding goals to his game has made him a “top player” for the Reds.
The Liverpool defender also praised Gakpo for how hard he works, both in attack and helping out at the back when needed.
“He’s a great, great player,” Tsimikas told the Liverpool .
“I think he showed from the time he came in how special he is and how he can put his body [in], very strong, very quick.
“Now with the many goals he puts in, I think he’s a top player for the team.
“He’s always a hard worker. Even in attack, even in defence, he’s always there to help the team to achieve our goals and, of course, to score goals for the team.
“I’m really, really happy for him. We are really close and I hope [for] more goals for him because he absolutely deserves it.”
Ryan Gravenberch has admitted that Cody Gakpo is his best friend at Liverpool while also naming Virgil van Dijk as one of his closest mates.
Why Gakpo has improved so much for Liverpool
As good as Klopp has been for Liverpool over the years, there were a number of players who struggled to adapt under the talismanic German coach.
Gakpo was one such player, along with Gravenberch and Luis Diaz, but all three have come in leaps and bounds under Slot.
One of the main reasons for Gakpo’s upturn in form is due to a simple tactical change – he’s now playing almost exclusively on the left side of attack.
| Where Gakpo has played in 2024/25 | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| Left Wing | 30 | 15 | 5 |
| Centre-Forward | 3 | – | – |
| Left Midfield | 1 | – | – |
Indeed, all of Gakpo’s goals and assists this season have come from the left wing, where he usually played for PSV Eindhoven.
Meanwhile, Klopp preferred Gakpo at centre-forward, as per the below stats showing the Dutchman’s outings by position last season.
| Where Gakpo played in 2023/24 | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| Centre-Forward | 27 | 12 | 3 |
| Left Wing | 12 | 3 | 3 |
| Right Wing | 7 | 1 | – |
| Central Midfield | 7 | – | – |
Although Gakpo didn’t do badly at centre-forward, the fact Klopp could never settle the player in one position likely meant he couldn’t build up as much momentum.