Gomez Gets Dream England Recall To Close An Unfortunate Career Chapter
Liverpool and manager Jurgen Klopp did not enter the March international break in the greatest of spirits following our very disappointing defeat to Manchester United in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, but whilst our quadruple hopes are over, the treble is still alive and the first team squad need to use that disappointment to drive them on for the remainder of the 2023/24 campaign.
Whilst spirits might be low right now, it was not a disastrous performance, and there were positives, but we just lacked that touch more composure on our chances, and luck went against us in key moments, but the pause in the domestic calendar is well timed as the players can refocus, shake off their anger and double down for the battles that lie ahead and football bookmakers will certainly have their own thoughts on how the remaining weeks will go.
For those on their international duties, it is a distraction, a change of pace and they can get over their disappointment in a different way, and full-back Joe Gomez will be looking to do just that as the 26-year-old defender has finally been recalled to Gareth Southgate’s England set up for the upcoming friendlies with Brazil and Belgium.
With his recall to the group announced a few days ago, on Wednesday Gomez was back in front of the media to answer questions about his return to Three Lions duty, and the player was naturally delighted that he was now back in the fold as it fully closes the chapter of ‘psychological toll’ that he has had to endure following his previous call up for his country, wherein he sustained a season-ending knee injury during a training session back in November 2020.
Being back in the group, if he does make Southgate’s starting eleven for the Wembley-hosted Brazil match, it will be his first appearance at that level since October 2020. Having had to undergo surgery on his left knee tendon and then spend the long time that was required to recover and rehabilitate, returning to England warm-up training was understandably a big moment for him, and he spoke about how it had truly closed the book on that period of his life. ”I’d be lying if it didn’t have a psychological toll. I left the training pitch in an ambulance. Leaving and not getting a chance to come back was tough to deal with. It’s nice to get back in the mix and close that chapter.”
Gomez was 22 years old when the injury unfortunately hit his professional career, and it has been a long four-year journey for him, but he is now naturally older, and wiser and admits that he now has a ‘different outlook and perspective’ on both the game, and his life in general, so he more than appreciates that he just has to be ‘grateful’ for his call up, and as well as continuing to do his best, just enjoy the experience again. It is a good reward for him after the journey he has faced, and he has again played a very important part for us this season as we continue to battle for the now-treble success that could be within our grasp in what will be Klopp’s final season at Anfield given his earlier announcement that he will call it quits at the end of the campaign.
For now, we wish Gomez well on his England return, and then we look towards a blistering end to the domestic campaign.
