Virgil van Dijk has played down his role in Cody Gakpo's move to Liverpool and insisted that he did not have to do too much in order to persuade his Netherlands teammate to join him at Anfield.
The Reds pulled off a remarkable £37million swoop for Gakpo earlier this week. The 23-year-old had been heavily linked to Manchester United last summer and was expected to leave PSV Eindhoven after starring at the World Cup.
But it was Liverpool, not United, who won the race for the coveted forward after firming up their interest and thrashing out a deal with the Dutch outfit over Christmas.
It has been widely reported that Van Dijk, who played alongside Gakpo at the World Cup, played a key role in convincing the winger to move to Merseyside. The Liverpool man, however, has stressed that was not the case - as Gakpo was already sold on the switch.
When he was asked about his role in the move following Liverpool's 2-1 win over Leicester, Van Dijk told Sky Sports: "No that was over exaggerated [his role]. I spoke to him, I can only say good things because I’m here, enjoying my time. We’ve been very successful but the manager said it as well, if it was me it was an easy decision to make, I didn’t need convincing.
"If there was any questions, I answered them honestly, I’m glad he’s here and get started as quickly as possible."
Gakpo has become one of the most sought-after players in Europe over the past 12 months after racking up sensational numbers in the Netherlands; prior to his big-money switch, Gakpo had already registered 30 goal contributions (13 G, 17 A) for PSV this term.
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Gakpo was in the stands at Anfield on Friday night to observe his new teammates, who picked up all three points against Leicester courtesy of two own goals from Wout Faes.
Although Jurgen Klopp has stressed that Gakpo is unlikely to feature in Monday's match against Brentford, he is set to be thrust straight into the fold in the wake of Luis Diaz' latest injury setback.
Van Dijk is adamant that Gakpo is capable of making a big impact on Merseyside - but has also urged fans to be patient with the versatile forward. He added: "Hopefully [he brings] a lot. A good player, good boy and obviously I know how it is to come in January.
"We have to give him time, I’m very sure the Liverpool fans will give it time, we’re family and the real ones will always back him. He has to keep his head down, no matter what happens, fight, enjoy the moment and be important for the football club."
