The PSV supporters were unsure if Gakpo was saying farewell or just the next stage of his European takeover. It was just a day before the transfer window ended in the premier league.
There was a plane at the airport ready to take him to the UK and sign for a club in the premier league. Other scouts in the stands of thePhillips Stadium were weighing up whether to advise their bosses to make a late push for the incredibly talented 23-year-old, but Gakpo decided to stay at PSV.
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He sought the advice of Netherlands manager Louis van Gaal. Gakpo was told by Van Gaal that in a World Cup year he should focus on playing for PSV rather than theunpredictability of the league.
You wonder what will happen during the transfer window. I don't know what I'm going to do. "Your last day at PSV could be every day." At least it weighed down on me. After weighing up the pros and cons of moving, Gakpo decided to stay.
On the eve of the biggest event in men's football, Gakpo heads into the tournament as an indispensable member of the Netherlands squad, backed with a remarkable return of 13 goals and 17 assists so far for PSV this season.
Gakpo had a number of remarkable performances this season. He had a trademark strike. Gakpo ran at the defence from the left, cut inside and drilled a low shot into the corner for his second goal. PSV fans are used to seeing that sight, but it doesn't make it any less impressive when you watch him in flight.
Twan has seen that type of goal many times from Gakpo. He has seen Gakpo's incredible season with a mixture of pride, enjoyment and fear as he has to plan a plan to stop him.
Gakpo was discovered at the under-11s by the man who worked at PSV's academy. The first time we met, all of the coaches at PSV had a good feeling about him. He loves football and he has a lot of skills. He loves the game so he was determined to get better every day. That love for the game, wanting to train and play every day to get better, is what leads to the great personality ofCody Gakpo.
The importance of Gakpo's family is highlighted by the author. His father is from Africa, his mother is from the Netherlands, and he has two brothers. His parents are very solid, don't do stupid things, and they did a great job of not pushing him too much. They wanted people to know that life is enjoyable. The family is a religious one. He's quite relaxed and that's important in the world. He only cares about playing the game, and nothing else.
He's one of the PSV crowd's own and they love him because of that. The walls of the PSV museum in the depths of the Philips Stadium are covered with photos and shirts of the club's greatest players. The club has won 24 Eredivisie shields, sitting next to their European title from 1988 and the European cup from 1978. There is a wall talking about the club's academy. Gakpo, the man who learned his craft in the red and white of the Boeren, is prominently featured here.
The supporters and fans love him because he's a boy from there and they are very proud of him. I played in the academy to the first team and became a two-time champion, as well as having the cup, and we had some similarities. He talks a lot about that. It makes me feel like a magician. Being a champion with PSV is a dream.
Before he leaves the club, he has to be a champion and then go abroad. They're happy that he stayed and worked towards the World Cup, who knows what's in his future? He needs to make his dream of being a champion with PSV a reality.
During the summer, Gakpo was unsure. He said that he held talks with ten Hag about a potential move, and that he had been linked with Manchester United for a long time. He said after PSV's win that it would be busy. I have always said that the whole picture has to be correct. There is a puzzle. I need to see which one is the most correct. There are other choices. It's a serious option.
Late approaches for the forward were made by the two other teams. Gakpo was often asked if he would stay at PSV. He tries to be honest and sincere. I usually say that I don't know. I had to make a decision in the end.
He tried to park any thoughts of a move, but later admitted that it probably played a role in his distraction. The match against Volendam was written in his PSV story but he decided to stay at his hometown club. Gakpo would like to play football in Europe.
He spoke to PSV's in-house TV channel in September and said he was happy that the window had been closed. Gakpo said it was a bit late. You may have to choose another club in a week if you went to Manchester last week. It feels a little rushed for me and PSV. The choice was made on PS V.
While PSV felt the pressure to let Gakpo leave to bolster their own accounts, the player himself turned to Holland's boss for advice. Gakpo said that he was told that a transfer in a World Cup year wouldn't be ideal. I agree with him.
Gakpo has been crucial to PSV's campaign in the European competition. He struggles to find his best form against harder opponents. He couldn't have any influence on the game as Takehiro Tomiyasu marked him out of the game. He had two goals disallowed but still contributed an assist by dropping a corner on Luuk de Jong's head. He was brilliant in PSV's win at Amsterdam, chipping in with an assist for De Jong.
He tells the sports network that the match was a tough one. In the home games last year I played well. I had to prove I was right. I know I can play well but you have to show it.
Fueling all of this is a constant desire to get better. In PSV's win over Heerenveen in October, the man was able to improve his dart of cutting in from the left and shifting the ball to his right foot, just like he did in the game against Heerenveen. Gakpo thinks he can be more accurate. I need to be more efficient because I don't score many goals. I will be able to score more goals if I make my move more aggressive. I can improve on that.
He wants to add moreunpredictability to his game. He says that his assists and goals are amazing in the Dutch league. He has to be able to change his game from inside to outside if he wants to play in the premier league. He needs to use his left foot more. You can see that he is evolving over the last year.
At the top of the Eredivisie, PSV and Ajax are tied on points. With Europe's biggest clubs inevitably circling once again in January, Gakpo's promise to be one of the stars of the tournament will only add to the interest around him.
The World Cup kicks off with a match between the Netherlands and Senegal. In a 3-4-1-2 formation, Gakpo will slot in behind Memphis and Bergwijn. It's been one of those pre-tournament narratives over where he'd fit in, but it's part of the plan. The left flank is where Gakpo preferred to be. In this system, Memphis is the left-handed scorer. You can't play there because he's playing. I should be able to play in the No. 10 position.
In the home game against Wales and away at Poland, he put me in that position twice. Against Wales he scored their second in a 3-2 victory (a run off the left and neat finish with his right) and he also scored a neatly timed six-yard tap-in for their opener in the 2-0 win in Poland.
When asked if that's his spot now for the World Cup, Gakpo says the coach is often right.
He would prefer to see Gakpo in his natural place. He is a very smart player. He knows that he likes to play with his nose to goal and make a dribble, but he can do it. If you play with three strikers, he's on the left. He can play there. Playing with two strikers isn't his best position. He stayed at PSV because he wanted to be at the World Cup and he wanted to show Louis van Gaal that he was ready and fit.
It's been Gakpo's lifelong dream to play in the World Cup, but once the next six weeks have played out, the focus will be on him, PSV and his future. The hope is that he'll see out the season in order to move on. There will be interest in him again, with Van Nistelrooy saying in September that it isn't just the premier league clubs who are watching the situation.
He doesn't worry about where Gakpo ends up next. He is confident that he will be a success in the English top flight. He says that there isn't much time to develop yourself in a new environment. There has to be luck if you want to be on top. It's a dream of mine to play in the premier league I'm not scared of that, I hope he makes the best choice. I don't worry about that because he's a smart and intelligent guy.
With a little more ease, Gakpo looks back on the summer season. He says that the last window was the first time he faced such a decision. With the rest of the season to play out and as PSV's captain, the promise of potential silverware lying in wait in May, he's not going to get caught up in the rumors surrounding his future with either club.
Gakpo said the last transfer window was exciting. We have left that behind for myself and my family. You never know what will happen when another window opens.
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