Joe Gomez has underscored his desire to keep striving for more success with Liverpool and be ‘the best version of myself’.
Now the longest-serving member of the Reds squad, the defender is in his ninth season at Anfield and has featured in nine of the team’s 11 matches so far this term.
A Premier League and Champions League winner with the club, for whom he is nearing a 200th appearance, Gomez has further self-improvement at the forefront of his targets for the future.
“To just be the best version of myself,” the 26-year-old said of his objectives, speaking to the On the Judy podcast released this week.
“I want to have consistency and durability, play a solid season and enjoy my football more than anything. I obviously have a different outlook on it because of the injuries [in the past]. But just be the best version of myself and see where that takes me. Control the controllables because sometimes opportunity comes, sometimes it doesn’t.
If I can look back and say that I did everything I could to be the best version of me, where that takes me is what it is. I’m grateful to be at the club that I’m at but, at the same time, have that balance of the hunger to want to keep striving, for sure.”
Gomez has been at Liverpool for the duration of Jürgen Klopp’s spell as manager, one that has included multiple highs and lows for the No.2.
Six major honours have been offset by several serious injuries since he arrived from Charlton Athletic back in 2015 – and Gomez is thankful for the support and faith shown in him across that time by the boss.
“I think he knows that there’s gratitude, massively so,” said Gomez, who signed a new long-term contract last summer.
“From the whole team and then on a personal note he knows, going through the injuries and him having the faith to see that I can rebuild myself and be a player that wants to play for him and impact the team, that’s forever.
“It’s probably something that I’ll look back on after as well. I’m lucky to have had a gaffer like him for this period of time, I know it’s not something to take for granted.”
In the dressing room, meanwhile, Virgil van Dijk is one player Gomez has developed a close bond with after the pair became teammates for the Reds almost six years ago.
“Aside from the football, he’s just a good person,” Gomez said of the Liverpool captain. “Gini [Wijnaldum] was the [introduction], because they were both Dutch and I was close with Gini as well so it was just naturally formed.
“We’d speak, the three of us, meet up and stuff. Then when Gini left we just grew closer. Good guy.
“And obviously I’ve learned a lot from him, off the pitch and as people. It’s nice to have someone like that you can lean upon.”
