Few modern attackers move between roles as smoothly as Cody Gakpo does. One season he is drifting in from the left wing to whip in crosses, and the next he is leading the line as a central striker for one of Europe’s biggest clubs. That kind of positional flexibility does not happen by accident, and understanding how Gakpo built that skill set tells you a lot about why Liverpool and the Dutch national team both rely on him so heavily.
This guide covers everything worth knowing about Cody Gakpo, from his breakout years at PSV Eindhoven to his current role at Anfield, his family background, and the numbers that define his career so far. Whether you are tracking his form for fantasy football, researching his Liverpool fit, or simply curious about the player behind the headlines, you will find a complete, accurate picture here.
Who Is Cody Gakpo?
Cody Mathès Gakpo is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a left winger or centre-forward for Liverpool and the Netherlands national team. Born on May 7, 1999, in Eindhoven, he stands at an imposing 6-foot-4, a frame that gives him an unusual physical profile for a player who also possesses genuine dribbling ability and close control, traits more commonly associated with smaller, quicker wide players. That combination of size and technique is part of what makes him so difficult for opposing defenders to handle, since he can win aerial duels one moment and glide past a marker the next, and it is also why scouts and coaches frequently describe him as a modern, hybrid type of attacker rather than a traditional winger or out-and-out striker.
Gakpo is a graduate of the PSV Eindhoven academy, which he joined at age six after a trial, and he progressed steadily through the club’s youth ranks before making his first-team debut in February 2018. His rise from promising academy prospect to one of the Eredivisie’s most dangerous attackers culminated in the 2021-22 season, when he scored 21 goals in 47 appearances across all competitions and was named the Dutch Footballer of the Year. That standout campaign put him firmly on the radar of clubs across Europe, setting the stage for the move that would define the next chapter of his career.
Cody Gakpo’s Path to Liverpool
Liverpool completed the signing of Cody Gakpo in a deal agreed on December 28, 2022, with the transfer formally going through once the January window opened. Reports at the time placed the fee between roughly £35 million and £44 million, a club-record sale for PSV at the time, and Gakpo signed a five-and-a-half-year contract that brought him to Anfield in the middle of a Premier League season, a notoriously difficult time for any player to adjust to a new league and culture. He made an immediate impact regardless, scoring on his home debut and quickly establishing himself as a regular in Jürgen Klopp’s squad.
The transition from Eredivisie standout to Premier League regular is one that has derailed plenty of promising careers, but Gakpo settled in with relatively few growing pains. His versatility proved especially valuable, since Liverpool’s coaching staff could deploy him across the front line depending on tactical needs and injuries elsewhere in the squad. By the time Arne Slot took over as manager in 2024, a fellow Dutchman who understood Gakpo’s strengths intimately, the player had already built the kind of trust and tactical flexibility that allowed him to thrive in a slightly different system than the one he arrived in. That continuity across two very different managerial eras, from Klopp’s high-intensity pressing approach to Slot’s more possession-oriented setup, speaks to a level of tactical intelligence that goes beyond raw athletic ability.
Cody Gakpo Stats: A Career Snapshot
Looking at Cody Gakpo stats across his career paints a picture of consistent goal contribution rather than explosive, streaky output. During the 2025-26 Premier League season, he has recorded seven goals and five assists from 36 appearances, numbers that reflect his role as a reliable creative outlet rather than a pure poacher. His underlying expected goals figures actually suggest he has been performing in line with, or in some metrics slightly below, the quality of chances he has generated, which speaks to consistent involvement in good attacking positions even when the finishing has not always matched the process.
Across his time at Liverpool, Gakpo has collected a genuinely impressive trophy haul for a player who joined mid-season, including a Premier League title in the 2024-25 campaign, an EFL Cup, and multiple Super Cup-style honors carried over from his PSV days, including an Eredivisie title and a KNVB Cup. These accolades matter because they place his individual statistics in proper context: he has not just accumulated personal numbers, he has done so while playing a meaningful role in a team that has consistently competed for major trophies. Anyone digging into Cody Gakpo stats purely through a fantasy football or betting lens should keep that team success in mind, since his output tends to track closely with how well Liverpool’s attack is functioning as a unit.
Cody Gakpo Liverpool: Tactical Role and Playing Style
When people search Cody Gakpo Liverpool to understand his exact role at the club, the honest answer is that it has shifted depending on the manager and the surrounding personnel. Despite being naturally suited to a left-wing or centre-forward position, he has spent significant stretches at Liverpool playing in a more central, midfield-adjacent role, a deployment that maximizes his passing range and physical presence even if it pulls him slightly away from his most instinctive attacking habits. This adaptability has made him something of a tactical Swiss Army knife for whoever is managing the team.
Under Arne Slot specifically, Gakpo has often operated in a hybrid forward role that blends traditional winger responsibilities with more central striker duties, particularly when injuries or rotation affect Liverpool’s other attacking options. His ability to hold up the ball, bring teammates into play, and still finish chances when they arrive gives Slot a tactically flexible piece rather than a player locked into one specific job description. For a club that regularly competes across four competitions in a single season, having a forward who can convincingly fill multiple roles without a drop-off in quality is an underrated asset that does not always show up clearly in raw statistics.
Cody Gakpo Stats vs Career Trajectory: A Comparison Table
The table below breaks down key statistical benchmarks across different stages of Gakpo’s career, making it easier to see how his output has evolved from his PSV breakout through his current Liverpool tenure.
| Season/Period | Club | Appearances | Goals | Assists | Notable Achievement |
| 2021-22 | PSV Eindhoven | 47 | 21 | N/A | Dutch Footballer of the Year |
| 2022-23 (post-transfer) | Liverpool | Partial season | Multiple | Multiple | Immediate Premier League impact |
| 2024-25 | Liverpool | Full season | Key contributor | Key contributor | Premier League title winner |
| 2025-26 | Liverpool | 36 | 7 | 5 | Continued first-team regular |
As the table illustrates, Gakpo’s statistical output has remained fairly stable across different competitive environments, which is itself a notable achievement given the jump in quality between the Eredivisie and the Premier League. Consistency at this level, rather than one standout season followed by a decline, is often a better indicator of genuine quality than a single career-high tally, and it is part of why Liverpool extended his contract through 2030 rather than treating him as a short-term rotation option.
Cody Gakpo Parents: The Family Behind the Footballer
Understanding Cody Gakpo’s background means understanding his parents, since both shaped his athletic development in distinct ways. His father, Johnny Gakpo, was born in Togo and has Ghanaian ancestry, and he played football himself in Togo before later having a brief connection to PSV’s reserve setup, giving him firsthand insight into the discipline required at a professional level. His mother, Ank Gakpo, is Dutch, from the small southern town of Oirschot, and represented the Netherlands internationally in rugby before working as a secondary school teacher, bringing her own background in elite competition and structured discipline into the household.
As one feature on the family described the dynamic, “my dad made me into a student of the game, but it was my mom who made me believe.” That balance, tactical rigor from his father paired with emotional encouragement from his mother, shows up repeatedly in how Gakpo discusses his upbringing, including his acknowledgment that the household’s African-influenced discipline felt stricter than what his Dutch friends experienced growing up. Cody Gakpo parents are frequently cited by football writers as a key reason for his mental resilience, since both instilled the kind of structured work ethic and unwavering support that helped him push through the inevitable setbacks of a professional career.
Family, Heritage, and Personal Life
Gakpo grew up in the Stratum district of Eindhoven alongside two brothers, his older brother Sidney and younger brother Ducferre, in a household where competitive sport was simply part of daily life. Sidney, six years his senior, has remained closely involved in Cody’s career and now serves in an agent-like capacity, reflecting just how tightly woven the family unit remains even as Cody’s profile has grown internationally. The household also maintained close ties to Togo over the years, including visits aimed at reconnecting with that side of the family’s heritage, and Gakpo has been seen wearing Togolese national colors and even has a tattoo of the African continent, small details that point to a genuine, ongoing relationship with that part of his identity.
Off the pitch, Gakpo has been in a long-term relationship with his partner, Noa van der Bij, and the couple welcomed their first child, a son, in April 2024. The family experienced a profound personal loss in mid-2026 when the couple’s second pregnancy ended in loss during the period surrounding the World Cup, a deeply difficult moment that Gakpo addressed publicly with characteristic openness about his Christian faith, which has long played a significant role in how he processes both the highs and lows of his career. He has spoken before about reading scripture daily and leading Bible studies with teammates, a dimension of his personal life that fans following his career closely will recognize as central to his identity beyond football.
International Career and World Cup Impact
On the international stage, Gakpo has represented the Netherlands at every age group from under-18 through under-21 before making his senior debut as a substitute at UEFA Euro 2020, becoming the first Dutch player to debut at a European Championship since 1980. He carried that momentum into the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, scoring in three consecutive group-stage matches, an extraordinary individual run that announced him as a genuine international-level threat rather than simply a promising domestic talent. That tournament performance significantly raised his profile heading into his Liverpool transfer just weeks later.
His international career reached another milestone at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where he was named to the Netherlands squad and delivered a standout performance, scoring twice and earning Man of the Match honors in a 5-1 victory over Sweden, taking his combined tally across two World Cups to five goals. Few players manage to consistently elevate their game at the very biggest tournaments, and Gakpo’s track record across both the 2022 and 2026 World Cups suggests a player who genuinely thrives under the pressure of international knockout football, a distinction that matters enormously when evaluating which players truly perform on the sport’s largest and most scrutinized stage.
Common Misconceptions About Cody Gakpo
One persistent misconception involves his eligibility and heritage: because his father is Togolese with Ghanaian ancestry, some assume Gakpo could have represented Ghana or Togo internationally with equal ease, when in reality his connection to football in those countries has remained largely symbolic rather than active. The Togolese football federation has reportedly reached out to him in the past, but he has never seriously pursued representing either nation, choosing instead to commit fully to the Netherlands from his youth international days onward.
A second common misunderstanding involves his Liverpool position, with some assuming he is purely a winger because that is how he is often statistically categorized. In practice, his actual on-field deployment under multiple Liverpool managers has frequently skewed more central, blending winger and forward responsibilities depending on tactical need. Recognizing this nuance helps explain why his statistical output sometimes looks different from what a typical winger profile would suggest, since he is often asked to do a broader job than his nominal position label implies, contributing to buildup play, aerial duels, and link-up work.
What Makes Gakpo’s Playing Style Distinctive
Part of what separates Gakpo from many wide forwards his size is the genuine technical polish he brings to the position, rather than relying purely on physical advantages against smaller defenders. He is comfortable receiving the ball under pressure, turning quickly in tight spaces, and picking out teammates with disguised passes, a skill set more typically associated with a creative midfielder than a player listed as a winger or forward. This technical comfort on the ball is partly a product of his PSV academy upbringing, where Dutch coaching philosophy traditionally emphasizes positional intelligence and ball control from a young age.
His finishing, meanwhile, tends to come from well-timed runs and composed first-touch strikes rather than spectacular long-range efforts, which is part of why his expected goals numbers often track closely with his actual output across a season. He is equally comfortable scoring with his head, thanks to his height advantage in the box, as he is slotting low, driven shots past a goalkeeper after cutting inside from the left. That blend of aerial threat and technical finishing gives opposing defenses two distinct problems to account for whenever he is on the pitch.
Conclusion
Cody Gakpo’s career so far tells the story of a player who has consistently adapted, whether that meant adjusting from Eredivisie football to the Premier League mid-season, shifting tactical roles under multiple managers, or carrying his form onto the international stage at consecutive World Cups. His family background, shaped by a Togolese-Ghanaian father with his own footballing past and a Dutch mother with an elite rugby pedigree, gave him both the technical foundation and emotional resilience to handle the pressures of playing for a club like Liverpool. Few players arrive at one of Europe’s biggest clubs mid-season and immediately settle into a productive, trophy-laden run, yet that is precisely the path Gakpo has followed since his January 2023 move.
Whether you came here for the latest Cody Gakpo stats, wanted clarity on his exact role at Liverpool, or were curious about the people who shaped him off the pitch, the throughline running through all of it is consistency: a player who keeps delivering across different contexts without ever needing a signature, headline-grabbing season to prove his quality. That kind of steady, adaptable excellence tends to age well, both in terms of reputation and continued first-team relevance, and it is exactly why his name keeps appearing near the top of conversations about Liverpool’s most dependable, multifaceted attacking options.
Frequently Asked Questions
What position does Cody Gakpo play?
Cody Gakpo primarily plays as a left winger or centre-forward, though at Liverpool he has frequently been deployed in a more central, hybrid attacking role. His height, technical ability, and passing range allow him to function effectively in multiple forward positions depending on tactical needs.
What are Cody Gakpo’s current stats at Liverpool?
In the 2025-26 Premier League season, Cody Gakpo has recorded seven goals and five assists across 36 appearances. His underlying numbers suggest consistent involvement in quality scoring chances, reflecting his role as a reliable attacking contributor.
When did Cody Gakpo join Liverpool?
Cody Gakpo signed for Liverpool in a deal agreed in late December 2022, with the transfer completing once the January 2023 window opened. The move came shortly after his standout performance at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, where he scored in three consecutive group-stage matches.
Who are Cody Gakpo’s parents and what is his heritage?
Cody Gakpo’s father, Johnny, was born in Togo and has Ghanaian ancestry, while his mother, Ank, is Dutch and represented the Netherlands in rugby before becoming a teacher. This blend of West African and Dutch heritage has shaped both his personal identity and the disciplined, supportive upbringing he has credited for his career.
Has Cody Gakpo played in multiple World Cups?
Yes, Cody Gakpo represented the Netherlands at both the 2022 and 2026 FIFA World Cups, scoring in three consecutive matches in his debut tournament and adding two more goals at the 2026 edition. His combined World Cup tally across both tournaments stands at five goals.
Why is Cody Gakpo sometimes listed as a winger and other times as a forward?
This inconsistency reflects his genuine positional versatility rather than any confusion in classification. Cody Gakpo has the physical and technical profile to play as a traditional left winger or as a more central centre-forward, and different managers at Liverpool have used him in both roles depending on tactical requirements.
