Southgate backs Gomez after Wembley jeers
England manager consoles defender’s family
England manager Gareth Southgate sought out devastated Joe Gomez and his family late on Thursday to offer further support after he was booed by supporters at Wembley in the Euro 2020 qualifier against Montenegro.
The Daily Telegraph understands that team-mates of Gomez believed he was first jeered when warming up on the touchline as a substitute, before boos echoed around the stadium when he was sent on in the 71st minute.
Gomez and his team-mates were stunned and angered by the reaction in the aftermath of the attack by Raheem Sterling that meant the Manchester City forward sat out England’s 1,000th game.
Southgate publicly backed Gomez and condemned the booing after the match and felt it necessary to spend more time with the player after completing his media duties to check on the 22-year-old’s wellbeing and reiterate his backing.
England coach Chris Powell, who has known Gomez since his days as a youngster at Charlton Athletic, also spent time with the Liverpool defender as the squad and coaching staff rallied around him.
The booing capped what had been a difficult week for Gomez. Southgate, England team-mates and Football Association staff have been impressed by the way he put the country’s interests over his own in dealing with the bust-up.
The full facts of what happened at St George’s Park have been kept private by Gomez, who still has a scratch under his eye, and Sterling has apologised after being punished with a one-game ban.
Gomez’s fiancee, Tamara, was at Wembley to witness the reaction. She had taken their baby son, Kyrie, to his first England game.
Other members of his family were present and they waited for Gomez, who was said to be low and confused over why he had been scapegoated. Sterling took to Twitter to reiterate that Gomez had done nothing wrong and that he should not have been booed, a message backed by captain Harry Kane.
England’s players would now like Southgate to start both Gomez and Sterling against Kosovo tomorrow in what has become a dead-rubber in terms of Euro 2020 qualification. Southgate has already promised Sterling will return to the team after serving his ban and the players believe the ultimate show of unity would be for Gomez to be named in the same team.
Kane spoke with Gomez in the Wembley dressing room after the Montenegro game and has revealed the part he played, as captain, in trying to keep the peace after Sterling’s attack.
“I was not in the room when it happened,” explained Kane. “So, after it happened, I asked him and a few of the players about what went on. I then spoke to Joe privately about how he was feeling. Emotions had run high just after it happened so I spoke to Raz [Sterling] and me and a few of the senior players spoke about what we should do.
“Joe and Raz then got together and had a chat and then after that, I spoke to Joe again to see how he was feeling. He was feeling better after his chat with Raz. We had a private meeting and I won’t discuss what we said. It is about understanding what went on and why, speaking to both players and trying to control it. I think we all handled it as well as we could have.”
Having heard Gomez booed, Kane is hoping supporters do not let their club allegiances and rivalries spill on to the England scene.
“I find it really confusing why he was booed,” said Kane. “But I don’t think any player should be booed. I know how important club football is with City and Liverpool, and all clubs. But at international level, we are all England fans and the bottom line is that Joe is a great guy – one of the nicest guys I have ever met. He is a top professional and for him it is about moving on, training and looking at the next game.”
Despite still having to deal with the fallout from Sterling’s clash with Gomez and the subsequent punishment and reaction, Southgate has rejected any suggestion his squad is split over the issue.
“The whole dressing room are together,” Southgate said. “I did try to say this yesterday. From the narrative that’s out there, you’d have thought that we were a camp that [was] in absolute disarray and that just isn’t the case.
“I think the reaction that Raheem has given shows that they’re very, very close and we’re hugely disappointed for Joe. He doesn’t deserve that in any way, shape or form. I’ll repeat what I said earlier, no England player in an England shirt should be booed.”
‘We are together. From what has been said, you’d think we were in absolute disarray’