Joe Gomez speaks out after captaining Liverpool for the first time vs Norwich in the Carabao Cup
In conversation with Liverpoolfc.com, Joe Gomez shared his excitement and happiness on being handed the captain’s armband for Liverpool in their 3-0 Carabao Cup win against Norwich.
The central defender has been through a tough period recently as injuries have severely disrupted the trajectory of his career. He made the move to Anfield in 2015 and has become a pivotal part of the defensive setup while growing in stature at the club.
The Reds recorded a 3-0 victory against the Canaries in their Carabao Cup fixture. the defender was massively pleased to be chosen for such a leadership role. The 24-year-old spoke out about the experience of being a captain.
“It was a massive honour. Obviously after the period I’ve had, the different injuries and coming back, I’m relishing every minute and on top of that, to be able to captain the side was unbelievable. I really enjoyed it.”
And Gomez also added the importance of being ‘yourself’ in such moments. He was stellar throughout the game and was on hand to block a rebound shot after Caiomhin Kelleher’s penalty save at 1-0.
“You’re responsible to try to lead as best you can. Everyone does that in different ways. I knew you don’t want to do anything over the top or out of the ordinary, you want to be yourself.”
He also started the UEFA Champions League match against AC Milan this campaign. Jurgen Klopp has preferred to start Joel Matip alongside Virgil van Dijk in the Premier League this season. Ibrahima Konate was given the nod to start in their latest PL match against Crystal Palace. This rotation could be a cautious approach to preserve the fitness of their centre-backs.
Liverpool had to face an injury crisis last season and the central defender position was particularly affected. Klopp will be mindful of that fact and would not want a repeat of last campaign. He has tried his best to shuffle the pack in such domestic competitions which can give a lot of quality time to youngsters and fringe players.
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Joe Gomez has been with the club since a young age. Despite fitness and injury issues, he has been a dependable asset for the Reds whenever available. We could, thus, see more of the younger lads such as Gomez being handed important leadership roles as the season progresses and the current Reds squad ages.
