Liverpool defender Joe Gomez opens up on his mental struggles following a series of injury issues
Liverpool defender Joe Gomez opens up on his mental struggles when dealing with a series of injury issues and the doubts that creep into his body.
Although the England international is still a key part of what the Reds would want to achieve in the coming months and years, injuries in the past few seasons have taken their toll on him.
If we look at the numbers, the 26-year-old has missed 233 games for club and country since joining Liverpool in the summer of 2015. Most of the injuries he has picked up have been long-term ones. So, even at a relatively young age, there must be doubts creeping into his mind regarding how much he can commit physically. The mental toll is another problem.
Here’s what Gomez said about the latter (h/t Jacamo and CALM, via Liverpool Echo):
“The injuries I had were rough at times. I think the first one caught me at a vulnerable time when I had just come up to Liverpool. I was only 18 and had just moved up by myself so it was tough in a sense that I was like on a new journey, living by myself and dealing with that.
“Once I got injured, I had a lot of spare time. I think that’s the biggest thing you notice as a player, that when you’re on the pitch training you don’t have time to be thinking, you’re just in your subconscious enjoying the game.
“It made me up my appreciation. Once I got back into football, I had other battles with worrying about my body and things that I couldn’t control aside from doing the work I needed to do. It’s just appreciation and being thankful that I can do what I still do.”
Given the number of bad injuries he has suffered, it is understandable to think that Gomez won’t be the same as he was while partnering Virgil van Dijk during the 2019/20 season when Liverpool won the Premier League title.
We sometimes forget how good the 26-year-old was before constant physical setbacks pushed his development back to the drawing board. He has been a useful servant to the club, especially as an emergency right-back and even at left-back.
He would still have the appetite for the game and hopefully, can contribute to Liverpool’s success in the coming years. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have been here, to be honest.
His versatility to play anywhere across the back line could be key in how the Reds fare this season. A good campaign here might go a long way in helping him restore confidence and strength.
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Jurgen Klopp is the perfect man manager to uplift the spirits of a player. Hence, in that regard, Gomez is playing under the right boss. He was a beast alongside Virgil van Dijk during the 2019-20 season and fans can rest assured the Englishman has it in him to rekindle that form if he continues to maintain his fitness.
