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Liverpool's Cody Gakpo during a press conference at Anfield. PA

'I have to prove I can perform'- Liverpool star's Champions League test

Cody Gakpo determined to make his mark against Real Madrid.

LIVERPOOLโ€™S JANUARY SIGNING Cody Gakpo admits he still has to prove himself in the Champions League.

The 23-year-old may have played in a World Cup quarter-final against eventual champions Argentina but his experience in Europeโ€™s elite club competition extends to just seven minutes in one substitute appearance in a group-stage draw against Tottenham in October 2018.

Gakpo had struggled with his form since arriving from PSV Eindhoven for an initial โ‚ฌ42 million (ยฃ37m) last month โ€“ not helped by Liverpoolโ€™s struggles on the pitch as a team โ€“ but the Netherlands international has now scored in back-to-back matches against Everton and Newcastle.

And his first Champions League start could be in the last-16, first-leg tie at home to Real Madrid. โ€œItโ€™s going to be my second game in the Champions League so Iโ€™m really looking forward to it,โ€ he said.

โ€œI have to prove that I can perform at such a level again and Iโ€™m eager to do that.

โ€œItโ€™s a dream for every football player to play in this competition and for me, to have that opportunity, itโ€™s a great one.

โ€œOf course itโ€™s a great feeling to score the first goal knowing it was a really important game for us and it was a Merseyside derby โ€“ that was a good way to open the scoring account.

โ€œAnd then to follow it up with the goal against Newcastle. I think that game was really important for us to show that we had a difficult period but that we are climbing back from that and that we are eager to perform and to keep doing better.

โ€œI think we are really confident now and will keep working hard and trying to improve and keep winning games.โ€

Gakpoโ€™s integration into the team was also not helped by being switched between two positions but he appears to be more comfortable through the middle.

โ€œObviously I played, I think, the last three years on the left side but at the World Cup and under Louis Van Gaal I played in the centre so I already tried to adapt to that when I came here,โ€ he added.

โ€œI spoke to the coach (Jurgen Klopp) and he said itโ€™s possible to play on the left or in the centre.โ€

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