Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
JUST WATCH US GO UNDER KLOPP
Gomez hails Kop boss and says Anfield is the place to be
JOE GOMEZ says Jurgen Klopp has brought “light and belief” to Liverpool.
The new England Under-21 skipper has thanked Kop boss Klopp for nurturing him to recovery after a year out with knee-ligament damage.
Gomez sacrificed a place at the U-21 Euro finals so he could report back for pre-season training at Anfield on day one.
His dedication to the Reds has been rewarded with a place in the starting line-up during Liverpool’s impressive start to the season.
And Gomez reckons there is nowhere else he would rather be.
The 20-year-old said: “We have an exciting playing style and a top manager. It is a massive club with great supporters and is a great place to be.
“Trophies are the benchmark. We got off to a good start last season and then had a rough patch but all the bits are there to challenge and win trophies this season.
“We can do it. We have a great team. The belief is there and that is the main thing. The manager has brought a lot of light and belief to the city, to the supporters, and to the dressing room.
“It shows on the pitch. The desire, the work-rate, the style and the counter-pressing that he wants us to do.
“Now we have had a season to bed down and it is all in place to perform and get the results we want.”
Klopp paid special attention to Gomez, who led the England U-21s to a 1-1 draw in Holland on Friday, when he injured his cruciate ligament in an international game in October 2015.
“He knew what if felt like because he had suffered a similar injury in Germany,” said Gomez. “He told me to keep working and was always positive.
“It was a learning experience for me. Things can get taken away from you in a flash. One challenge and it’s a year out on the sidelines.
“Playing at this level can’t be taken lightly and I definitely appreciate it now.”
Missing the U-21 Euros to boost his club career was his “toughest decision” and he explained: “It was tough watching the lads lose to Germany on penalties. Agony.
“But it was about being there on the first day of pre-season training and then trying to prove a point at Liverpool.
“I had a lot of work to do to get into the side.
And if you are not playing for your club you won’t get picked for England.
“Hopefully it works out for the best. As a team we have go a good start and qualified for the Champions League so it’s been good.”