Gakpo reveals the player who stopped him joining Man United before Liverpool

The year was 2022 and the Dutch forward was fresh from a season in which he scored 21 goals and bagged 15 assists, leading to a flurry of interest from clubs in the Premier League.

But with Manchester United, Leeds and Southampton all keen on a move, Gakpo revealed that it was one of his PSV colleagues who convinced him leave his future to fate.

It was also United's signing of Antony for £86million that effectively ended their pursuit of the Netherlands international.

Speaking to the Players' Tribune, Gakpo said: "It wasn't until 2020 that my game really took off. That's when Roger Schmidt took over as our manager, and he lifted us to second place. We were still miles behind Ajax, but the next year, we finished just two points behind, and won the Super Cup final against them.

"At the time, with Ten Hag and the players they had, they seemed unbeatable. So, that was big. Winning the final against that Ajax team, and then for me to score in that big moment? That will always mean a lot to me.

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"Around that time, I started hearing rumors of a move to England. Now, everybody who knows me, knows I am a man guided by my faith. So, one day, I had a meeting with the pastor from my church back in Holland, and he brought a friend who was a pastor somewhere else.

"This other pastor said, 'Can I tell you something?' I said of course. This was before any big clubs had come knocking on my door. And he said that God told him that I would go to Liverpool. I kind of laughed it off like, Yeah, nice, we will see about that. There was already a little bit of interest from Manchester United, so I thought, We'll see.

"Then in the summer of 2022, United went for Antony. I was like, What should I do? At this point I could go to Leeds, Southampton, or I could stay at PSV.

"I prayed, and I asked God for guidance. But you see, I had to make sure I got his message.

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"So I said, If I score only one time, I'll go to Southampton…. If I score two times, I'll go to Leeds…. If I score three times, I'll stay.

"The next day we played, and I scored twice. I was also involved in a third goal — and at first, it was called as an own goal. Then I was subbed out. So, two goals, right? I thought, Ah, OK, it's Leeds then. I was at peace with my decision.

"As I was sitting on the bench, I told my friend, Jordan Teze, who now plays for Monaco, the whole story. He was like, 'If God wants you to stay, that own goal will be awarded to you.' It was like a coin toss, waiting to see what they decided. It could have gone either way! But after the game, they gave me the goal. I scored three, so my fate changed. I stayed at PSV.

"It's a funny story, but in a way, that's a really important piece of the puzzle. Thank God I stayed because that allowed me to play in the World Cup, which led to Liverpool."

Fans at Anfield will be so happy that Gakpo put his faith in a move to Liverpool especially given how well he's performed this season.

Joining in January 2023 for a fee worth in excess of £35million, the striker scored seven in the second half of the 2022/23 season, before hitting 16 goals in 53 games in his first full season.

This term, Gakpo's productive has certainly increased with 14 goals and five assists in 32 matches this season - meaning that he's firmly on track to enjoy his best-ever season with the Reds.

Discussing the Dutch forward on talkSPORT, Tony Cascarino described him as being "like a new signing compared to the Gakpo of last season."

With Liverpool fighting on four fronts - the Premier League, FA Cup, EFL Cup and Champions League - fans will be hoping that Gakpo can continue his rise a play a key part in what could be a historic season for the Merseysiders.