‘He eats football’ – Jurgen Klopp hails versatile Liverpool star

After an impressive World Cup with Netherlands, Gakpo signed for Liverpool in January from PSV for around £40m.

After a steady start, Gakpo has really started to impress and has been a big part of Liverpool’s recent superb run of seven Premier League victories on the spin, with six league goals to his name.

The 24-year-old has adapted quickly to life in England and Klopp is delighted with a player who is wise beyond his years and intelligent enough to fit into a number of different systems in Liverpool’s attack.

‘He’s a super football smart person,’ Klopp told a press conference on Monday. ‘Not for one second did I feel he is 24, really young. He was captain at his previous club, which is all special.

‘I met the boy and I understood it. He eats football. Each information you give him is, for him, natural to put it on the pitch.

‘He was in a position [against Leicester] he never played before, I think, but he enjoys it a lot there and we need him there so it’s very good.

‘He can obviously play three more positions in the system which is super helpful. But yeah, he adapted pretty quick.’

Gakpo was central in a front three against Leicester on Monday, flanked by Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz and had another fine performance, not getting on the scoresheet but in linking up play impressively.

It was Curtis Jones (twice) and Trent Alexander-Arnold who found the back of the net, with the Reds staying fifth but moving within a point of Newcastle in third and Manchester United in fourth as they push for a Champions League place.

MORE : Trent Alexander-Arnold making ‘absolutely unprecedented’ contribution to Liverpool, says Gary Neville

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