Gakpo told how to get off the mark by Liverpool legend

Jacque Talbot

• 13 Feb 2023 17:55 GMT
• 3 min read

Ian Rush has offered advice to Cody Gakpo in a bid to get the Liverpool attacker off the mark.

The Reds’ all-time goalscorer has backed the Dutchman to find his feet soon but has claimed that he may have to become more selfish to do so.

The attacker has failed to score in any of his first six appearances since joining the club for a fee potentially rising to €50m at the start of the January transfer window from PSV Eindhoven.

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His lacklustre form in front of goal is a far cry from his time at PSV this campaign, where he notched nine goals and 12 assists to his name from 14 league appearances in 2022/23.

But Rush - whose 346 goals for the Reds remains the club’s highest - has lent his support to the attacker.

He told the Liverpool Echo: “Maybe times have changed now with social media, there’s so much pressure on them. I kept believing in myself. You’re thinking it’s a team game as a striker, but Bob Paisley told me ‘You’ve got to be selfish’ - and that’s what I did. I kept in the same position, became greedy and started scoring.

The Welshman continued: "Sometimes, as a striker, you have to start doing that. It’s about knowing when to shoot and pass and finding that happy medium. For the first seven or eight games, I was playing for the team but that stopped when Bob Paisley told me ‘You haven’t scored a goal’.

“I think Gakpo has been fine. With Salah, Firmino and Mane, they knew what they were doing and were all on track with each other. We’ve been unfortunate with Diaz and Jota being out and the two new guys (Gakpo and Nunez) need time to adapt. The Premier League is the hardest league in the world and they just need the time to gel together."

Rush’s career offers Gakpo hope

Rush did not get on the scoresheet for Liverpool until his tenth outing - something that could offer a bit of confidence to the struggling 23-year-old.

Welshman's very first goal did not arrive until his tenth appearance for the club, however, which could serve as inspiration for Gakpo.

“It’s difficult," conceded Rush. "When you’re playing the likes of Everton and Manchester United, top players become top. I believe in Mo Salah. I would like to see Mo play down the middle more but then are Gakpo and Nunez good on the left or right? It’s important that the front three interact, and they just need a little bit of time to do that."