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Former Manchester United skipper Gary Neville has revealed what former teammate and now United coach Ruud van Nistelrooy said to him about Cody Gakpo.

Van Nistelrooy was Gakpo’s manager at PSV during the 2022/23 campaign.

For PSV under van Nistelrooy that campaign, he played in 24 games and contributed with 13 goals and 17 assists.

Taking that form into the 2022 World Cup, he impressed before signing a contract with Liverpool following the competition.

Since his transfer to Liverpool, there has been plenty of debate on his best position – and indeed whether Jurgen Klopp utilized him correctly.

Gakpo played a total of 53 matches for Liverpool this season, accumulating 3,016 minutes on the pitch.

He contributed 16 goals and 6 assists across all competitions, underscoring his offensive capabilities.

His ability to perform in different positions was both a strength and a challenge, showcasing his adaptability but also leading to occasional inconsistencies in his performances?.

Throughout the season, Klopp utilized Gakpo in various positions, primarily as a center-forward but also on the wings and even as a central midfielder.

This constant flux sometimes affected Gakpo’s ability to build momentum and consistency in a single role?

Despite these challenges, many fans and analysts are optimistic about Gakpo’s future under new manager Arne Slot, who might offer him a more stable and defined role in the team?.

And it seems that the Dutch manager has just been sent a message by his Manchester United rivals.

What did Gary Neville say about Cody Gakpo?

Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Gary Neville revealed that Ruud told him that Gakpo is a pure winger, and that his best and most effective position is undeniably on the left wing.

At Euro 2024, Gakpo was deployed in that position by Ronald Koeman and put in a player of the tournament showing in their run to the semi-finals.

“I went to speak to Ruud just after he’s first gone to Liverpool and he was struggling a little bit and I said to him ‘what about Gakpo’, because obviously United were looking at him weren’t they?” Gary Neville said.

“And he said he’s a left winger, that’s it.”

“So when Klopp was playing him like false nine, centre forward or a bit deeper in midfield at times, Ruud said he had him there at PSV and he said he’s absolutely a left winger and you watch him for Holland and he looks quick.”

“He looks like he can run with the ball, he looks direct,” he added.

Of course, Jurgen Klopp mostly opted for Luis Diaz down the left flank, so it will be interesting to see what Arne Slot’s hierarchy will look like.

Both Diaz and Gakpo are still on summer break, while we exclusively revealed when Alexis Mac Allister would return for pre-season.

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