Cesc Fabregas has praised Cody Gakpo’s role for Liverpool and the Netherlands national team, explaining his view that the Dutchman is a “functional” player.
The word “functional” may not be the flashiest when it comes to an attacking player, but it does a good job of describing Gakpo’s value to his teams.
As part of the Dutch squad at this summer’s Euros, the 25-year-old was moved back into his natural role on the left wing, which saw him score in the opening 2-1 win over Poland.
• READ: Gakpo’s Dutch role has shown Liverpool how to use their £37 million square foot
Gakpo was also one of the biggest threats in Friday’s 0-0 draw with France, before which Fabregas described his importance.
“He played well in the last game, he is a threat. I think he’s a functional player, from what I saw from him at Liverpool,” the former Arsenal, Barcelona and Spain midfielder said in the BBC Sport studio.
Here’s what he said, clip as you wish pic.twitter.com/4H5qKdzjnk
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“It seems to me that he is the type of player who needs to be told what to do all the time. But he has great ability.
“He is not the most creative player, but he is dangerous, he has an eye for goal, he has good mobility, he attacks space well, he tries one on one and you could see his big improvement in the tournament.
“He could have scored more than one or two goals in the last game.
“A good goal, obviously a hit on target, a bit of luck at the end, a rebound, but in difficult positions in front of the goal to attack the space.
“He should be the key for the Dutch team.”
The idea that Gakpo needs “to be constantly told what to do” can be seen as a negative, but it also speaks to his adaptability when it comes to the manager’s instructions.
That has shown as he has played a number of different roles at Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp, although he now hopes to be a regular on Arne Slott’s left.
Fabregas’ involvement as a Euro pundit has shown the 37-year-old – now manager of Como 1907 in Italy’s second tier – to be an intelligent reader of the game off the pitch.
Gakpo’s role as a “functional” player should continue to be key for both Liverpool and the Netherlands, and the striker is surely a manager’s dream.
