Resilient Gomez signs long term contract

It has been a pretty impressive last seven days for the Reds. Nine points out of nine in the league, making the most of a extremely rare slip up by Man City and a number of key players playing their best football of the season.

The only negative was losing defender Joe Gomez for around six weeks with a fractured leg suffered against Burnley last Wednesday night.

Gomez's absence won't impact on 888 sport betting odds for Liverpool vs Man. United this weekend in the way that an injury to Mo Salah or Virgil Van Dijk perhaps would. The Reds have experienced cover in Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren but this setback is the latest cruel blow for a young man who has been plagued by bad luck.

However it was all smiles for the youngster on Monday as he became the latest first-team member to sign a long term deal with the club.

The Liverpool Echo reports that the 21 year-old former Charlton Athletic junior has signed on the dotted line until the end of the 2023/24 season.

Gomez has certainly had his ups and downs at the club, seeing his first two seasons at the Reds wrecked by long-term knee and Achilles injuries.

He responded strongly last season to become a first team regular for Jurgen Klopp win his first senior England cap.

Gomez looked set to be part of Gareth Southgate's 23-man World Cup squad until a ankle injury saw him miss the key part of Liverpool's and crush his dreams of playing at the showpiece of international football.

Putting another summer of frustration behind him, Gomez started the new campaign in his preferred position at the heart of the back four, alongside the colossus that is Vigil Van Dijk.

Steady without being spectacular at right-back in 2017/18, he took his move to the more central defensive position like a duck to water, in the process becoming one of the most consistent Liverpool players in the first few months of the season.

Gomez and Van Dijk formed the best central defensive pairing in the league, and in tandem played a major role in resurrecting a highly troublesome area of the pitch for a number of years.

Speaking to the official site, Gomez said:

“I’ve been at the club a few years now and have had the pleasure to play for Liverpool and experience what that means, so I am delighted to get the chance to extend my contract here.

"I love the club, I love playing and learning here, and I am happy for that to continue.

"There have been a lot of highs and lows, it’s my fourth season now (59 first-team appearances) and every one has been different.

"Obviously I would like to have had a few less setbacks along the way, but it has all been part of my journey – one that I have loved and embraced. I have learned so much.

Having missed his fair share of big games since his arrival at the club, Gomez is determined to play a major role in the upcoming years.

“All the signs show where the club is heading, where our team is heading.

“We got so close last year in the European competition and in the league this year, we’ve shown such good character in the start to the season so far.

“[It’s] our best start ever as a club, so that shows if there is ever a time to have belief in the club and where we’re going it is now.”

To be successful as a player and as a squad in general, you need to have a level of confidence to reach the next level.

 It is clear over the past 12-18 months that kind of element has been steadily growing.

After experiencing the bitter taste of defeat on the big stage in recent seasons, you get a sense this squad is on a mission to right those wrongs.