“Keeping a player mascot warm was his best action” - Liverpool star slammed by national media for performance in friendly before Euro 2024
Liverpool striker Cody Gakpo attracted criticism from the Dutch media following his performance in the 4-0 friendly win over Iceland on Monday (June 10) ahead of Euro 2024. The Oranje open their campaign against Poland on Sunday (June 16).
Gakpo, 25, is coming off a decent - if not spectacular - season with the Reds, contributing 16 goals and six assists in 53 games across competitions. Thirteen of those goal contributions - eight goals and five assists came in 35 games in the Premier League, where Jurgen Klopp's side finished third.
However, the Dutch international - who won the EFL Cup last season - put in a seemingly underwhelming shift on international duty. After Xavi Simons had given Ronald Koeman's side a 23rd-minute lead, captain Virgil van Dijk doubled their advantage four minutes after the break.
Gakpo was subbed off in the 75th minute for Donyell Malen, who scored the Oranje's third of the night four minutes later before Wout Weghorst applied the coup de grace in the third minute of stoppage time.
Cody Gakpo received a rating of 5/10 from Voetbal - the lowest among all Oranje starters - describing his performance as:
"Gakpo could not demonstrate that Koeman has no way around him. Keeping a player mascot warm during the Wilhelmus by giving away his training jacket was his best action of the evening."
Koeman's side won both their friendlies 4-0, against Canada four days earlier and Iceland on Monday, ahead of their Euro 2024 campaign.
How many Liverpool players have been called up for Euro 2024?
Liverpool will be represented by 10 players at the upcoming Euro 2024 in Germany. It's the third largest contingent by a Premier League club, behind champions Manchester City (14) and runners-up Arsenal (11).
The Reds doctet comprises three from the Netherlands - Van Dijk, Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch, two from England (Joe Gomez, Trent Alexander-Arnold) and one each from the Czech Republic, France, Hungary, Portugal and Scotland.
Among the aforementioned nations, England, France and Portugal are regarded as among the favourites, so there's a good chance that one or more player could return to Anfield as an European champion.