Jurgen Klopp’s approach to helping Joe Gomez through his long term injury demonstrates why he is admired so much as a manager.
He has expressed his faith in Gomez on more than one occasion since arriving at the club and has assured the youngster that he is very much part of his plans at Liverpool.
The 19-year-old suffered a season-ending knee injury around the same time as when Klopp was appointed as manager and has looked back on what he feels was a vital first meeting with the German for him personally.
Speaking about the time between discovering the extent of his injury and talking to Klopp, Gomez told Liverpoolfc.com: “It was very immediate, from when I found out to when I spoke to him. It was within half an hour of me finding out.”
“I came back to Melwood from the scan and was on the phone to my mum, dad and girlfriend right up until I spoke to him. I was still very emotional and it was very raw.”
“But it was a big chat for me because it helped me. It was the first time meeting him, we got a first impression of each other and he said some reassuring things – for me to be patient, it’s not the end of the world, I’m still young and I’ve got to take my time to come back, that he’ll be waiting for me to come back.”
“That was a push for me to get started with my rehab and be in a positive place. It was massive for me.”
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Klopp was never going to overlook one of the club’s brightest young talents.
His support for Gomez sums up the family atmosphere around the club as well as recognising how highly he values him as a player.
Above all, his help for the former Charlton man is without question fuelled by his simple love for football and wish to see every player experience the success they deserve.
Klopp won’t want to rush Gomez back into the first team but we are certain he’ll already be thinking about how he can use the defender.