Joe Gomez has shed some light on his decision to sign a new contract with Liverpool despite his reduced game-time under Jurgen Klopp.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Liverpool ECHO, Liverpool defender Joe Gomez has explained his decision to extend his contract with the club amid speculations that he would leave.
Gomez has been with Liverpool since 2015 when he arrived from Charlton Athletic. The 25-year-old had gradually grown into a first-team regular at Anfield. However, an injury in 2020 sidelined him for a considerable period, following which he has rapidly fallen down the pecking order at Anfield.
Indeed, Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate are ahead of Gomez in Jurgen Klopp’s plans, resulting in him playing just 21 matches across all competitions, of which only 11 were starts.
It had led to speculations over Gomez’s future since the January transfer window itself. Aston Villa had been one of his biggest suitors as Steven Gerrard wanted to raid his former club for the England international. However, despite his reduced game-time, Gomez decided to sign a new contract with Liverpool and stay at Anfield.
Joe Gomez:
“I can understand why people would have thought I’d be considering moving on, for sure, 100%. It’s apparent from my age now and based on my opportunities in the past, there was definitely still a decision for me to make.” #lfc [liverpool echo] pic.twitter.com/eio0wzJQk1
— Anfield Watch (@AnfieldWatch) July 18, 2022
Explaining his decision to pen a new deal instead of leaving, Gomez said: “I can understand why people would have thought I’d be considering moving on, for sure, 100%. It’s apparent from my age now and based on my opportunities in the past, there was definitely still a decision for me to make.
“I guess you could see it at as a crossroads. But speaking to the club, I knew it was an important decision for me to make. Fundamentally, the opportunity that I have here and the platform and the chance to be at this club is one that is hard to walk away from. Essentially, it was me accepting the fact I have got to take on the challenge,” Gomez added.
Gomez’s new contract with Liverpool has still five years, with the defender extending his stay at Anfield until 2027. He will be hoping to enjoy more regular game-time under Klopp and push the likes of Matip and Konate to partner van Dijk at the heart of the Reds’ defence.
