Joe Gomez has lifted the lid on his failed move to Newcastle United in the summer and working his way back into the Liverpool first team under Arne Slot
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Liverpool defender Joe Gomez gestures before the UEFA Champions League match at Girona on December 10 2024
Liverpool defender Joe Gomez gestures before the UEFA Champions League match at Girona on December 10 2024
(Image: Javier Borrego/Europa Press via Getty Images)
That pesky Paulo Gazzaniga. As Joe Gomez powered a header goalwards from Trent Alexander-Arnold's inviting corner delivery, the hardy Liverpool supporters who had made the trip to a chilly Girona were prepared to witness history until the home goalkeeper flung out his hands to instinctively bat the ball over the crossbar.
The wait for a first Liverpool goal goes on for Gomez. He is, though, getting closer this season, having been denied in similar fashion against Brighton earlier in the campaign.
Not that he has anything special planned for the occasion. "I cannot say I have," says the centre-back. "It depends on the goal. But going up for corners is a big thing. That is one thing that has hindered me this whole time as I was never up (under Jurgen Klopp) so my odds have been boosted."
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Of course, there was a very good chance Gomez would have ended his Liverpool career without ever finding the target. During the summer, the Reds agreed in principle a £45million deal with Newcastle United for the defender as part of a package that would have seen Anthony Gordon switch to Anfield for £75m.
The Magpies, however, pulled the plug on the deal at the last minute having found other avenues to meet the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules ahead of the June 30 deadline.
And Gomez admits the move was close to going through. "Yeah, it was definitely for real," he says. "My focus was always on the club but I know how blessed I am to be here and I will be 10 years in the summer.
"I don’t take that for granted. It is the best club in the world in my eyes and it was quickly a case of adapting and getting into the swing of things (after the deal collapsed). It was good to put it to bed. That is football.
"I am a big believer in focusing on the present. To be somewhere 10 years and not have any blips would not be natural which probably speaks about my ambition."
Asked if he was happy with the way things worked out, Gomez responds: "Yes. It is a pleasure to be part of such a great group and we obviously have such a good foundation to hopefully achieve something this year and that is what you want to be part of. I love being here. I love the club."
Nevertheless, it wasn't straightforward for Gomez - Liverpool's longest-serving player having joined in the summer of 2015 - to make his mark under new head coach Arne Slot.
Having made 51 appearances last season - albeit primarily at right-back - the late return from a frustrating European Championships in which he failed to play a minute for runners-up England contributed to him not even being in the matchday squad for the opening weekend at Ipswich Town when Jarell Quansah started alongside Virgil van Dijk ahead of Ibrahima Konate.
His starts were limited to two in the League Cup and he had played only 10 minutes in the Premier League before a game-changing contribution when replacing Konate at half-time in the home win over Brighton in early November.
It put Gomez in the box seat to deputise when the France international suffered a knee injury against Real Madrid last month that is likely to keep him out for the remainder of the year.
"As a player, you always want to play so you have to just try and be ready," says the 27-year-old. "In many ways, I am used to it and have had many ups and downs but you relish playing and having the opportunity to be in the team. We have had a great platform since the start of the season and we just want to try and carry it on.
"It is tricky to stay focused because you don’t know when the chance will come or under what circumstances, what position and so on and so forth. But I can only control what I can focus on and that is being the best professional I can be. It is a great club to be at and to see the positives in it, it could be worse."
While Liverpool are prospering under Slot, it was like the old days in Girona in one respect. With Alisson Becker back in goal, it was the first time the Brazilian had started a game behind a backline of Gomez, Van Dijk, right-back Alexander-Arnold and left-back Andy Robertson in 656 days.
Van Dijk and Gomez was the preferred centre-back pairing for much of the title-winning 2019/20 season, and the skipper has been impressed with how his team-mate has handled his situation in recent months.
"Obviously I know him very well and it is definitely not easy when you are not playing each and every week," says Van Dijk. "But the way he has conducted himself on and off the pitch is an example to so many players, not only young players, so many players out there.
"It is not easy to do it and he has so much quality and he can play right across the back line as we have seen. Obviously working with him is always a good thing and we obviously know each other inside and out. He is needed now and he has to stay consistent and put in good performances."
Having spent most of his senior club career working with Klopp, Gomez has highlighted how he is improving even further under Slot.
"It is a process from a tactical standpoint," he explains. "It is definitely not as straightforward as seeing a pass and playing it. A lot is about how we can get around the pitch and try not overload on one side and play with the ball a bit more. It has been great to learn. You just want to get better as a player and the coach is helping me and the rest of the boys to do that.
"It is still early in the season. We have not done anything yet. We have got a platform but it is nothing if we do not capitalise on it. I know everything stems from this and that is all that matters to me."
Gomez adds: "The manager is constantly reminding us that you cannot get complacent. Don’t get me wrong, it is not a coincidence (that Liverpool are doing well this season). The coaching staff and gaffer’s attention to detail is second to none.
"I think even when we come in at half-time sometimes when things are not going our way, the ability to adapt in certain situations and guide us the right way is so good. I don’t think he will be satisfied. He will be more frustrated if we cannot capitalise on this. It is about all of us keeping this mentality and not getting complacent."
And if there's one Liverpool player to whom that accusation can never be made, it's Gomez.