APSV academy graduate, Gakpo made his first-team debut in February 2018. In the 2021–22 season, he won theDutch Footballer of the Year award after scoring 21 goals in 47 games in all competitions. He signed for Liverpool in January 2023.
Gakpo played youth international football for the Netherlands fromunder-18 tounder-21 level. He made his senior international debut in June 2021 atUEFA Euro 2020.
Gakpo was born inEindhoven and raised in the district ofStratum.[5] His father was born in Togo and has Ghanaian ancestry, while his mother is Dutch.[6][7][8] In 2007, he moved to the youth academy ofPSV, where he then progressed through all of the youth teams.[6]
For the 2016–17 season, Gakpo was part of the reserve teamJong PSV for the first time but mainly featured in the under-19 team. Gakpo made his professional debut in theEerste Divisie for Jong PSV on 4 November 2016, in a game againstHelmond Sport.[9] For the rest of the season, he only made one more appearance for Jong PSV. After his production increased in the following season's U19 Eredivisie with seven goals and five assists in 13 league games, he was finally promoted to the reserves at the turn of the year. In his second appearance in the second-tier Eerste Divisie, on 19 January 2017, in a 3–2 away win againstDe Graafschap, he scored a brace and made the assist for the third goal of his team.[10] For Jong PSV, he managed to score seven goals in the 2017–18 season, which he achieved in 12 league games.[11]
Gakpo made his first team debut for PSV as an injury-time substitute in a 3–1 victory over Feyenoord on 25 February 2018.[12] In the 2018–19 season, Gakpo was able to further improve his performances. This was also noticed by first team coach,Mark van Bommel. He was selected several times for the matchday squad of the first team in the first half of the season. He would initially, however, remain an unused substitute.[11] In the 5–1 home win against theGo Ahead Eagles on 3 December 2018, he scored the first hat-trick of his professional career.[13] After he scored a goal and got an assist in the 5–2 home win againstAlmere City on 21 December,[14] he made his debut in theEredivisie just one day later. In the 3–1 home win againstAZ, he was substituted on forSteven Bergwijn in the closing stages.[15] He scored nine goals in ten league games for Jong PSV by the end of the year and was subsequently promoted to become a regular member of the first team.[11] On 3 February 2019, he scored his first league goal in his second appearance in a 5–0 home win overFortuna Sittard and also assisted another goal.[16] By the end of the season he made 14 league appearances, but without being able to record another goal.[11]
In the 2019–20 season, he made his breakthrough in the Eredivisie and recorded seven goals and as many assists in 25 league games.[11]
On 13 September 2020, the first matchday of the2020–21 Eredivisie season, Gakpo scored his first brace for PSV, contributing to a 3–1 win overGroningen.[17] He scored another brace on 24 September in the 5–1 victory in theUEFA Europa League qualifier againstNŠ Mura, allowing PSV to qualify for the play-off round.[18] He was again decisive there, on scoring PSV's second goal in a 2–0 win overRosenborg on 1 October.[19] He finished the season with 29 appearances, in which he scored 11 goals.[11]
Gakpo scored the winning goal for PSV in a 2–1 win overAjax in the2022 KNVB Cup final.[20] On 31 August 2022, he scored his first hat-trick in a 7–1 win overVolendam.[21]
On 28 December 2022, Gakpo agreed to sign forPremier League clubLiverpool once the transfer window opened on 1 January 2023.[22] He was reported byBBC Sport to have agreed a five-and-a-half-year contract, for atransfer fee of between £35.4 and £44.3 million (€40 to €50 million), which would be a record fee received by PSV.[23] He made his debut on 7 January as a starter in a 2–2 home draw withWolverhampton Wanderers in theFA Cup third round.[24] Gakpo scored his first goal for Liverpool in a 2–0Merseyside derby league victory overEverton on 13 February 2023.[25]
Gakpo won his first trophy with Liverpool in the2023–24 season, where he was credited with key goals to take the club to its 10thEFL Cup victory as the competition's second-highest goalscorer.[26]
Gakpo scored the equaliser in Liverpool's 2–2 drawwithManchester United on 5 January 2025.[27] During the2024–25 season, Gakpo played a crucial role in theirPremier League title winning season. He scored Liverpool's third in an 5–1 win againstTottenham Hotspur, after which the league title was secured in his first season under new manager and fellow countrymanArne Slot.[28]
On 30 August 2025, Gakpo signed a new long-term contract with Liverpool.[29]
Gakpo was called up to the seniorNetherlands squad forUEFA Euro 2020 and debuted in the third match of the group stage againstNorth Macedonia as a substitute in the 79th minute forFrenkie de Jong.[36] As a result, he became the first Netherlands player to make his international debut at a European Championship sinceMartien Vreijsen in1980.[36]
Gakpo made his first start for the Netherlands in a2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier againstNorway on 1 September 2021,[37] and scored his first senior international goal three days later in a 4–0 win overMontenegro.[38]
Gakpo was called up to represent the Netherlands at the2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and had an immediate impact, scoring in three consecutive group stage matches againstSenegal,[39]Ecuador,[40] andQatar.[41]
Gakpo was named in the Netherlands' squad forUEFA Euro 2024 in Germany.[42] He was namedplayer of the match in their opening 2–1 victory overPoland, in which he scored his country's first goal of the tournament.[43] He received the honour again for their round of 16 match againstRomania, where he scored the first goal and provided an assist in a 3–0 victory.[44] With 3 goals in the tournament, Gakpo was awarded theGolden Boot in a 6-way tie.[45]
Usually deployed as aleft winger, he is also capable of playing a more central attacking role as acentre-forward. However during his time at Liverpool he has mostly been deployed out of his natural position on the left wing and played most of his minutes in a midfield and centre forward role. Gakpo often cuts inside on his right foot to move to a more central attacking position, and uses his speed anddribbling skills to take on defenders until he finds the space to make an attempt on goal.[5]
Gakpo is aPentecostal Christian.[46][47][48] He has said, "I try to read the Bible every day, I pray every day, I like to go to church, and I read many books about the faith".[49] During the 2022 FIFA World Cup, along withMemphis Depay, he led aBible study for fifteen other Dutch teammates.[50]He welcomed his first child, a boy born in April 2025 with his partner Noa van der Bij.[51]
^Six appearances and two goals in UEFA Champions League, four appearances and two goals in UEFA Europa League, five appearances and three goals inUEFA Europa Conference League
^Four appearances in UEFA Champions League, five appearances and three goals in UEFA Europa League
_(cropped).jpg)
_(cropped).jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
