CODY GAKPO MELTS DUTCH HEARTS WITH KIND GESTURE AHEAD OF EURO 2024 WARM-UP GAME
Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo won the hearts of Dutch supporters with a kind gesture ahead of kickoff in the game between The Netherlands and Iceland on Monday night.
The Oranje were playing their final pre-Euro 2024 warm-up game at home at De Kuip before departing for Germany with the tournament commencing later this week.
Ronald Koeman’s side carried on their electric pre-tournament form, downing Iceland 4-0, the team who beat England at Wembley on Friday night, with goals from Xavi Simons, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk, Donyell Malen and Wout Weghorst.
Cody Gakpo melts Dutch hearts with kind gesture ahead of Euro 2024 warm-up game 2 mins ago by Peter Staunton
Gakpo, 25, was winning his 24th cap for his country, starting on the left wing behind Memphis Depay and alongside Tijjani Reijnders and Simons in attack midfield.
Conditions in Rotterdam couldn’t be described as sunny ahead of the game and Gakpo spotted that one of the mascots was shivering in the cold.
Without a second thought, the former PSV captain took off his anthem jacket and slung it around the shoulders of the youngster ahead of a rendition of Het Wilhelmus.
It was a gesture which won the forward acclaim across social media before a ball was even kicked.
The Dutch have been in strong form ahead of the Euros, beating Canada 4-0 last week before Monday night’s comprehensive victory.
Along with Gakpo and Van Dijk, they also boast another Liverpool player in the shape of Ryan Gravenberch - a surprise inclusion having turned down an under-21 call-up last year leading to a row with Koeman.
One sour note for the side however is the confirmation that Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong won’t be fit for the tournament and Chelsea’s Ian Maatsen has been called in to replace him.
The Netherlands find themselves in an awkward-looking group alongside France, dark-horses Austria and Poland.
They will be hoping to do better than Euro 2020, when they were surprisingly knocked out at the last 16 phase by Czechia, 2-0, in Budapest.
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