"Arne Slot is like a father. He made me who I am. He's the best coach in the world," said Kokçu in an interview with TRT Spor, at a time when he's on international duty with Turkey.
"He boosted my performance in his first season. We reached the final of the Conference League, but lost. Some of the top six clubs in England were interested in me and there were serious negotiations, but the transfer didn't happen. The following season, he made me captain and that responsibility increased my performance," recalled the Benfica midfielder, who worked with Arne Slot from 2021 to 2023, before heading to Luz.
In this interview, Kökçü also spoke about the importance of Robin vVan Persie, with whom he played last season before joining Benfica.
"We played together for a season. He liked to mentor young players and taught me how to play vertically," explained the Reds midfielder.