Joe Gomez has opened up on his move to Liverpool from Charlton Athletic in 2015.
Having seen Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Roberto Firmino move on this summer, Gomez is now Liverpool’s longest serving player.
It’s been eight years of ups and downs for Joe, and he’s opened up on his time at Anfield in a rare public interview for the On The Judy podcast. Asked about the options he had when leaving Charlton for the Reds, Gomez admitted that he came close to joining a couple of different teams.
“I went [to Liverpool] in the summer. In the January I went to Red Bull Leipzig,” revealed the 26-year-old. “I’d only played half a season, they were still in Bundesliga 2. In hindsight they’re a great club but I wasn’t ready.
“I went with my Mum, my Dad, my missus wasn’t feeling it either. I wasn’t ready, I knew I wasn’t ready but the opportunity came up.
“In the summer, there was Liverpool, Bournemouth and Villa, those were the three main options. Just contrasting journeys, routes really. At the time it was Eddie Howe [at Bournemouth], great gaffer. It was a big decision, but I met Brendan [Rodgers]. I’d always had a soft spot for Liverpool just as a club, it just felt like it had a warmth towards it and I met Brendan and he was a likeable person.
“I knew I could still maybe go down that route, use the platform of being at a top club to go out on-loan, I thought that was going to happen. When one of the best clubs in the world wants you to go, I felt it was the right way.”
Gomez makes Villa admission
Given the way things have panned out over the past eight years, Gomez will certainly feel he made the right choice here.
Liverpool back in 2015 weren’t the Liverpool of today. Although still obviously a top club with big ambitions, things hadn’t been going so well under Brendan Rodgers. As ended up being the case, there was a chance for Gomez to slot straight into the side.
The only thing that ultimately halted his progress was injuries. Had the then 18-year-old not fractured his ACL mere months into his Liverpool career, he’d likely have retained his position as a starting left-back.
Had the same injury occurred with Gomez having just joined Aston Villa, it’s unlikely he’d have had the chance to join Liverpool again.
Thankfully, Joe was already in the right place, and when Jurgen Klopp came along he continued to put his faith in the England man.
There have been times over the past two years or so when some fans would like to have seen Gomez let go. He was – ironically – heavily linked with joining Villa in summer 2022.
But having instead signed a new contract, the former Charlton man is here to stay. It certainly has been a rollercoaster Liverpool career for Gomez. He’s back looking like his old self this season though, and that’s terrific news.
