Why 15-year-old Joe Gomez rejected Liverpool’s Premier League rivals…

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Liverpool fans may never have been granted the opportunity to boast of Joe Gomez’s brilliance.

The defender had the chance to join Chelsea as a 15-year-old, but subsequently rejected the offer following some valuable advice.

Gomez was tempted to join best friend Kasey Palmer in moving to Stamford Bridge, but was convinced by Charlton’s former academy manager Paul Hart to stay put at the time, reports the Telegraph’s Matt Law.

A desire to play first-team football served as another reason for Gomez continuing to ply his trade at Charlton- something which appears to have paid off in the long run.

Joe Gomez tussles with Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey

Chelsea’s youth setup, whilst producing a number of high-calibre prospects, has notoriously failed in paving the way to the club’s senior team.

This has primarily been down to managers bolstering their squads with expensive signings from abroad- some of which have failed miserably in England’s top flight over the years.

Dominic Solanke represents a familiar example, with the striker having excelled in Chelsea’s youth system, only to struggle finding a route to the first-team and eventually joining Liverpool in the summer of this year.

Two years down the line from signing for the Reds, Gomez has endured a season-ending knee injury but also managed to reestablish a place in Jurgen Klopp’s side.

His latest deserved reward came in the form of a call-up to the England squad, followed by his senior debut against Germany and a Man of the Match display against Brazil.

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