Cody Gakpo main Netherlands at Euro 2024, says his religion in God ‘provides me peace’
By Joshua Doering Jun 19, 2024
Cody Gakpo celebrates throughout the Netherlands’ 2-1 win over Poland on June 16, 2024. (AP Picture/Sunday Alamba)
Cody Gakpo has began 4 group stage video games at main tournaments for the Dutch males’s nationwide crew and has scored in all of them. The Liverpool winger netted three of the Netherlands’ 5 objectives within the group stage of the 2022 World Cup and received on the scoresheet once more in Sunday’s 2-1 victory over Poland at Euro 2024.
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With the Dutch trailing within the twenty ninth minute, Gakpo took a shot from simply exterior the field that found the back of the net through a deflection.
The Dutch reply! 🇳🇱
Cody Gakpo ties issues up for the Netherlands 🔥 pic.twitter.com/VWZHSP6FOb
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 16, 2024
A late goal from substitute Wout Weghorst accomplished the comeback in what was the opening sport of the event for each groups.
THERE IT IS!! 🇳🇱
The Netherlands take a late lead over Poland due to Wout Weghorst 🙌 pic.twitter.com/GeRzCYtDvn
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 16, 2024
Gakpo rose to prominence with a 12-goal, 12-assist season for PSV within the Dutch Eredivisie in 2021-22. He started the 2022-23 marketing campaign by producing three objectives and three assists in three video games and was attracting curiosity from Premier League golf equipment Leeds United and Southampton throughout the summer time switch window.
The switch window closed Aug. 31, 2022, the identical day PSV confronted Volendam. Gakpo wanted to determine whether or not to remain at PSV or transfer to England, so he leaned on his robust religion in God and surrendered the scenario to the Lord.
“It was hectic, and it was troublesome from a psychological viewpoint,” Gakpo told ESPN in a recent interview. “So, ultimately I put all of it in God’s palms. If I scored as soon as, I used to be going to Southampton; twice and I used to be going to Leeds; if I scored three, I used to be staying.”
He scored twice within the first half. A 3rd aim got here early within the second half, nevertheless it took a heavy deflection off a defender, so it was unclear if he’d be given credit score. When he was taken off within the 63rd minute, it appeared he was headed to Leeds. However that final aim was in the end awarded to him, so he stayed at PSV.
Gakpo’s 21 aim involvements in 14 Eredivisie video games that season and his spectacular show on the World Cup in November-December 2022 attracted much more consideration from a few of the largest Premier League golf equipment, and he joined Liverpool after the World Cup within the winter of 2022.
“It was very onerous [to leave PSV],” he told ESPN. “I performed there in complete, I feel with academy and all the things collectively, 17 or so years; a lot of mates, a lot of good individuals. However yeah, I feel it was simply time. That was the place I may really feel God’s presence as properly as a result of it was simply in His palms, and it occurred so fast. I used to be so calm, and I used to be not likely harassed about these issues. In order that was for me additionally an indication prefer it’s a God transfer.”
The 25-year-old scored seven objectives in 21 appearances throughout the second half of the 2022-23 Premier League season. He contributed 16 objectives throughout all competitions within the 2023-24 season, his first full one with the membership.
And religion is a central part of Gakpo’s life, as he usually makes use of his Instagram account to give glory to God.
“Religion provides me peace,” he told Premier Christianity in 2023. “And power after I want it. I usually learn the Bible earlier than I fall asleep. It’s a sort of love letter that tells us how we must always deal with one another.”
On Monday, Gakpo captioned a post celebrating his goal “Reward to the Most Excessive.”
He additionally led Bible studies for the Dutch crew on the World Cup. Wherever Gakpo is, there’s an excellent probability he’s received a Bible with him.
“Not solely in my profession, faith helps my entire life,” he told Premier Christianity. “It’s a way of life for me. I take the Bible with me in every single place and each day, within the UK or wherever else.”
The Dutch face World Cup runner-up France of their second Euro 2024 sport at 3 p.m. ET on Friday, then end out the group stage in opposition to Austria on Tuesday. The highest two groups within the six teams and the highest 4 third-place groups advance to the spherical of 16.
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