LIVERPOOL forward Cody Gakpo has said that he is focused on giving Jurgen Klopp a farewell to remember as the Reds prepare to face Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley tomorrow.
Klopp has announced that he will leave the club at the end of the season after nine years in charge during which he has won them the English Premier League, the UEFA Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup trophies.
As Liverpool look to lift the Carabao Cup trophy for a record-extending 10th time, Dutchman Gakpo, who joined them from PSV Eindhoven in January 2023, believes Klopp’s impending departure is extra motivation.
“It’s a big thing for [the fans] and for us as well, for the club,” 24-year-old Gakpo, who has scored in every previous round of the Carabao Cup this season, told Liverpoolfc.com.
“The manager was here, achieved great things, and we as a squad want to give him the best farewell we can give, and that means winning trophies.
“This is the first we can give ourselves and give him as well, so that gives us a little extra boost, a little extra motivation, not that we need it. It’s something we’d really like to achieve for him.”
Gakpo, who netted the winner for PSV in the 2022 Dutch Cup final as club captain, will be hoping for a repeat tomorrow.
“It’s going to be an amazing experience, but for me personally, I will realise it afterwards,” the Netherlands international added.
“When you go out, you’re really focused, you know? You see it but you don’t really enjoy it, and then after the game you think, ‘Wow, the fans were really amazing!’ I’m really looking forward to it.”
