Liverpool's Cody Gakpo mocked for dad's 'dream' which took decades to come true
Cody Gakpo was inspired by his dad’s dream house even though it took decades to finish. The Liverpool FC attacker has flourished this season playing as a left winger under new manager Arne Slot.
He scored and assisted Liverpool’s most recent game against Ipswich on Saturday, taking his total to 14 goals and five assists for the 2024/25 season.
Gakpo was born in Eindhoven in The Netherlands. His dad was born in Togo and has Ghanaian ancestry, while his mum is Dutch. Speaking openly in a recent article with The Players’ Tribune about his upbringing, the 25 year-old revealed his parents met when his mum was on holiday in the West African country.
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He said: “(My mum) was a Dutch national rugby player and had gone on a backpacking trip through Africa with a few friends in the ’80s. They took buses all the way through the Sahara, and somehow, she ended up at the same bar, in Togo, as this charming, smooth talking local guy. A former Togo footballer. And the rest is history.”
Even after Gakpo’s dad moved to The Netherlands, he retained a strong connection to his place of birth. He started gradually building his dream house in Lome, the capital of Togo. The footballer revealed he was laughed at by his other teammates years later when he had to admit how long his dad had been working on the house.
Gakpo said: “My guys were right there, so I couldn’t lie! I knew they were glancing at each other, straining their faces, trying not to laugh.
“I mean, I was 18! I had been hyping this house up since I was seven! I told my teammates, ‘How long? Oh I don’t know ... like ... 12 years. Little by little, you know?’ Everybody was cracking up. They made a little bit of fun of me for a while after that. But that was the tempo Dad went.
“It was his passion. When there was more money coming in, building went faster, of course. For the longest time, though, it was like a snail. I learned over time, that’s exactly how all the best things in life have to happen. Slow and deliberate. Brick by brick.”
Shortly after signing for Liverpool, Gakpo had the opportunity to visit Togo for the first time with his brothers and saw the house when it was nearing completion. The footballer realised something on the trip.
He said: “We drove through the streets of Lome, and I was taking it all in, this whole new world. Then we finally arrived at the house. It was actually real. There were people shuffling in and out with equipment and tools.
"And my dad was telling everyone what to do. Inside, the tiles on the floor were perfectly cut and had these colourful and intricate patterns. It was beautiful.
“I finally understood something about my dad. I used to think all of his focus on my training was simply because he wanted his small son to reach his dreams, like him.
“But now, I look back, and I see a deeper meaning. I can close my eyes and see the younger version of my dad, traveling from Togo all the way to Holland, and meeting people who might think they can easily walk over him, or that he doesn’t know what’s going on. But they don’t know he has a strong character, an iron mentality, and he always rises to the top.
“And I guess in the end, those were the real lessons he was trying to teach: no matter where you start, you can earn anything through hard work. Never undervalue yourself. And when the going gets tough and the dream feels a lifetime away? Put your head down and get to work.”