Carl Recine/Getty Images
Legend Ruud Gullit has come to the defence of a Liverpool star amid questions over whether he should keep his starting spot in his national side.
Arne Slot is keeping his eyes peeled over the international break as he looks for his Liverpool stars to return fit and healthy from action with their national teams.
Slot will have a special interest in his homeland of the Netherlands, with the squad having Reds stars Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo in the squad ahead of tonight’s Nations League meeting with Bosnia.
There is a debate in the Netherlands over whether Gakpo should be starting ahead of PSV Eindhoven man Noa Lang.
Gakpo’s performances have warranted him a regular place in the Dutch national team, where he has collected 35 senior caps, scoring 15 times for his country and he started the match against Hungary last Saturday over PSV star Lang.
Legend of the game Gullit is backing Gakpo and thinks the Liverpool man is a proven performer, while it is impossible to say Lang is currently the better player.
“Gakpo has proven a lot, he also scores a lot”, Gullit said on Dutch broadcaster Ziggo Sports’ programme Rondo (via the Algemeen Dagblad) about the Reds attacker.
“I do not think Noa Lang is better yet, you cannot say that.”
Gakpo has already scored six times under Slot this season as Liverpool sit top of the Premier League table.
Jurgen Klopp brought Gakpo to Anfield in the January transfer window in 2023.