Joe Gomez plans on being at Liverpool for a very long time.
The centre-back, who recently turned 23, has been speaking to the official website about his five year stint at the club since arriving from Charlton – when Brendan Rodgers signed him for an absolute bargain sum.
“Hopefully it is just the start of the journey; five years is a pretty decent length of time, but I hope it is just sort of the opening chapters of what can be many more years here,” he said.
“It has definitely been special times and I have definitely grown a lot here. I’ve done most of my growing up as an adult, coming here at 18. I’ve learned so much about the club and about the city. It’s been a pleasure.”
We’d argue that Gomez is already one of the best centre-backs in the country and would actually get more adulation for his performances if he were not alongside the planet’s top defender: Virgil van Dijk!
With the Dutchman though, he has a superb partnership, as both possess incredible speed, technical qualities and an understanding of each other’s game.
Joel Matip does excellently next to van Dijk as well, but we’d suggest Gomez has a slightly higher ceiling of potential and should be the short-term and long-term first-choice as VVD’s partner, fitness permitting.
Having a player as capable as Matip in reserve is brilliant, of course – and it shouldn’t be unsaid that in terms of a backup option – Dejan Lovren is very decent as well.