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Kuyt backs Gak
Liverpool cult hero Dirk Kuyt has backed Cody Gakpo to become a Reds great.
Former PSV Eindhoven forward Gakpo, 23, has netted four times in 17 appearances since moving to Merseyside in January.
While some pundits have been underwhelmed by the Netherlands international’s initial impact, Kuyt — who scored 71 goals for Liverpool between 2006 and 2012 — says the youngster needs time to adapt.
Kuyt told the Liverpool Echo: “I think the expectations for him are very high and he has already shown his quality in several games.
“A few people are expecting him to do that every week, but I don’t think that is fair because it is a huge step to come from the Eredivisie to the Premier League and I think I can judge that because I made the same step.
“When I joined Liverpool back in the day, I lost six kilos in weight because of the intensity of the league. Cody came here in the middle of the season and had to adapt to a new team and division, so it is not fair to judge him straight away.
“The main challenge is the intensity. The tempo in the game is much higher and the players you play against are more physical.”
Gakpo will hope to feature when Jurgen Klopp’s side travel to Leeds this evening.
Little lay-off
Arsenal have confirmed that skipper Kim Little’s hamstring injury will keep her out for the rest of the season.
Little, 32, limped off 12 minutes into her side’s Women’s Champions League quarter-final win over Bayern Munich last month.
Further scans have now revealed that the influential midfielder will play no further part in the current campaign.
A club statement read: “Our captain has already begun her rehabilitation and this process is progressing well.
“We expect her to be available for the start of preparations for the 2023-24 season.
“Our medical team will support Kim closely over the coming months and we look forward to seeing her back on the field of play soon.”
Vale axe Clarke
League One side Port Vale have parted company with their boss Darrell Clarke.
The former Bristol Rovers and Walsall manager guided Vale to promotion via the League Two play-offs last season and was a popular figure among supporters.
Yet the club’s board have opted to take action after Saturday’s 3-2 defeat at Lincoln, which left the club only six points above the relegation zone.
A statement read: “Darrell deserves the utmost respect and appreciation from all at Port Vale for his contribution to the club’s progress since he was appointed in February 2021.
“However, performances and results have been below expectations since the turn of the year, with just two wins in our 18 League One fixtures since New Year’s Day and an alarming trend in performances in recent weeks.”
