Joe Gomez is now Liverpool’s longest-serving senior participant, however the membership’s tenured utility defender has discovered himself having to show himself time and time once more during the last 10 years.
Having arrived as an 18-year-old from Charlton in 2015, Gomez joined with a blossoming status and a £3.5 million price ticket that urged he could be instantly thought of for the primary staff.
The brakes have been by no means intentionally utilized within the near-decade since, although as he realized once more on Sunday, the larger challenge is when they’re forcibly completed so.
Gomez made his eighth consecutive begin within the journey to West Ham that ended 2024 with a 5-0 win, however was unable to complete the primary half as he pulled his hamstring in a problem with Max Kilman and referred to as for a substitution.
Jarell Quansah took his place and, talking after the sport, Arne Slot accepted that his No. 2 could be out for “fairly a bit” as medical workers organised scans to happen firstly of the week.
The extent of Gomez’s harm is unclear, however its timing arguably couldn’t have been worse for the participant himself, who was visibly annoyed as he walked off the pitch with membership physician Amit Pannu.
When Ibrahima Konate‘s absence was confirmed following a ridiculous deal with from Actual Madrid striker Endrick, Slot had the selection of two choices because the Frenchman’s stand-in.
Given Conor Bradley and Kostas Tsimikas have been additionally sidelined and Trent Alexander-Arnold had required painkilling injections to get via video games, it was unclear at first whether or not the top coach would go for Gomez or Quansah at centre-back.
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Gomez’s versatility urged he could possibly be stored for rotation at full-back, fairly than alongside Virgil van Dijk within the centre, however Slot defied that logic and deployed him on the coronary heart of defence.
It was a good move, significantly given Quansah’s inconsistency when referred to as upon this season, with the reunion of Liverpool’s profitable again 4 of years passed by offering the soundness and assurance wanted.
Whereas it might have taken Gomez a interval to seek out his toes once more, earlier than lengthy he had rekindled the partnership with Van Dijk that made him such a key participant beneath Jurgen Klopp, furnished by their understanding with Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson as full-backs.
Such was Gomez’s type within the absence of Konate – significantly in opposition to Man Metropolis, Tottenham and with 10 males in opposition to Fulham – that there might have been a debate over whether or not the No. 5 ought to instantly reclaim his beginning spot when match.
Gomez will definitely have felt that manner, however now the choice is far less complicated for Slot, who will now await the return of Konate as a matter of urgency.
It’s a acquainted state of affairs for Gomez, who has discovered himself out and in of favour throughout his time at Liverpool usually on account of his exceptional misfortune on the subject of accidents.
Van Dijk has been Liverpool’s solely actual fixed at centre-back, with Gomez, Konate, Joel Matip and, for a time, Dejan Lovren cycled via because the Dutchman’s common companions.
Although he could also be burdened with the ‘harm susceptible’ label, it might be unfair to explain Gomez as such regardless of lacking 226 video games for membership and nation with cruciate ligament, heel and patellar tendon accidents in addition to a damaged leg.
As an alternative, he deserves to be recognised as a mannequin skilled and a devoted athlete who has managed to beat freak setbacks that may finish the top-level careers of many others, with a psychological fortitude to remain related at a membership like Liverpool.
“I understand how blessed I’m to be right here and it is going to be 10 years in the summertime. I don’t take that without any consideration,” he stated earlier in December, having seen a £45 million transfer to Newcastle break down over the summer time.
“It’s the greatest membership on the planet in my eyes and it was rapidly a case of adapting and stepping into the swing of issues [after it was clear I would stay]. It was good to place it to mattress.
“It’s soccer. To be someplace 10 years and never have any blips wouldn’t be pure.”
On his position as a dependable squad participant, nevertheless, he did add: “It’s tough since you don’t know when the prospect will come or beneath what circumstances, what place and so forth and so forth.
“However I can solely management what I can concentrate on, and that’s being the perfect skilled I might be.”
It stands to motive that Gomez will resume that place when he returns from his hamstring harm, by which level Konate is prone to have reclaimed the spot alongside Van Dijk and, hopefully, discovered world-class type once more.
After all, Slot would possible have phased Konate again in regardless, however that Gomez has misplaced his spot via a muscle harm – nearly definitely attributable to an overload of minutes having been largely inactive beforehand – is a psychological blow greater than something.
Nonetheless, as his head coach will acknowledge, Liverpool’s renaissance man has proved as soon as once more that he’s greater than only a helpful backup.
Joe Gomez might be relied upon each time and wherever.
