Liverpool's Gakpo hailed as 'new Robben' who makes defenders 'sh*t their pants'

Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo is the toast of The Netherlands this morning after a five-star performance which led the Oranje through their Euro 2024 round of 16 tie against Romania on Tuesday. 

Gakpo, 25, opened the scoring with a brilliant first-half goal, cutting in from his left-wing station and firing a ball inside the near post. 

The ex-PSV captain added an assist in the second half, brilliantly dribbling to the byline inside the Romanian penalty area before finding Donyell Malen, who prodded home from close range. 

Those contributions were enough to take the game away from the Romanian underdogs but Malen added a third for good measure in injury time. 

After a group stage where the Oranje failed to catch light, Gakpo aside, the side coached by Ronald Koeman have now burst into life ahead of a quarter-final showdown with Turkey. 

Gakpo becomes only the THIRD Dutchman in history to score three or more goals in two separate major tournaments, after also netting three in the 2022 World Cup, following Johnny Rep and Dennis Bergkamp. He tops the Euro 2024 goalscorers chart alongside Jamal Musiala, Georges Mikautadze and Ivan Schranz. 

Gakpo emerges as Dutch superstar

The Liverpool man’s display had all of the Dutch media purring with World Cup finalist Rafael van der Vaart praising Gakpo as a forward who can make a defender “sh*t their pants”. 

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European champion Arnold Muhren, meanwhile, compared the irrepressible Gakpo to another Oranje favourite in Arjen Robben. 

Former Celtic and Feyenoord striker Pierre van Hooijdonk described Gakpo as the team’s “star”, insisting the versatile forward is an example to follow. 

Gakpo 'so threatening' for Netherlands

“Gakpo makes the difference again,” Euro 88 winner Muhren wrote in his Dutch player ratings for De Telegraaf, offering Gakpo a game-high of 8.5.  “Not only with the first goal, a great shot, and the assist he provides for Malen. But he offers the Dutch team so much quality. 

“He simply pulls the entire team over the line. Malen only had to tap the ball in. 

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“Every time Gakpo gets the ball, you sit down for it. What we had with Arjen Robben in the past – he goes inside, the opponent knows he is going to shoot and no one stops him – we now have that with Gakpo. He is so threatening. 

“What I like is his modesty, also in his commentary afterwards. It is never ‘me, me’ with him, always an eye for a teammate too. He scores, he provides an assist and is of great value to his team. But just neatly in front of the camera. He plays a wonderful tournament.”

Van Hooijdonk was analysing the Romania clash for NOS and said: “He really is our star. He is the star of this team. He was already at the World Cup in Qatar, but now too. 

“In all facets of professional football, he is an example to everyone. His development at PSV, the transfer to Liverpool, and now with the Dutch national team: he is our star.”

Former Real Madrid and Tottenham playmaker Van der Vaart, who has cultivated a reputation as an outspoken pundit in his homeland said:  “A back ‘sh*ts his pants’ when Gakpo comes at him," he said on NOS. "Few players in the world can do that.”