Jurgen Klopp says Joe Gomez has been an unsung hero in his ability to deputise for injured teammates in the back four.
Versatility has been a trademark of Jurgen Klopp’s spell as manager, asking players to play in a non-preferred position, but the sacrifice has then led to overall success.
That trait is what led to James Milner earning the respect from everyone at the club, whether the midfielder filled in at Left or Right Back, he did it with a minimum of fuss.
And Gomez shares that same quality. It is sometimes easy to forget that he is still only 26, but it is clear he is highly regarded from the coaching staff and teammates alike.
The defender has been through plenty of ups and downs on a personal level through his nine seasons at the Reds but it is his strength of character which is so noteworthy, after every injury setback he has set his goal to return a better player.
Those forced absences and then the subsequent return to match fitness has seen Gomez only surpass 20 Premier League appearances in a season on three occasions (2017/18, 2019/20 and 2022/23.. He is already sitting on 18 for this season.
A sign that luck is finally luck is shining on Gomez is that he has made 60 of his 202 appearances for the club in the last season and a half (just under 30%) and with plenty of games on the horizon this campaign, that percentage will surely grow. A sidenote is that he has played the full 90 minutes for the last six fixtures, once again illustrating the confidence he has in his body.
Gomez has had to fill in for Andy Robertson, Kostas Tsimikas and Trent Alexander-Arnold in recent times, no easy task by any means, but speaking after the Reds booked their ticket for another Carabao Cup final showdown against Chelsea, the manager waxed lyrical about Gomez as the Official Website reported.
“Without Joe nothing would've happened in the last pretty much 13 [or] 14 weeks since Robbo [Andy Robertson] is out. Yes, because he could play there, but the things we could do with Trent [Alexander-Arnold] when we brought Joey on, I don't exactly [know] how many games [he] played now this year, but I would say 20-something already.
“He is a life-saver, to be honest, that he was here, that he could play, and people forget how important Joey was in the best years we had. I don't know how many games he played in the year when we became champions and how many games he played when we won the Champions League. A lot and rightly so because he's a top-class player.”
With Liverpool still fighting on all four fronts this season and key players set to return to action,, competition for spots all over the pitch is set to be intense.
And that along with a team in fine form is all what a manager could ask for.
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