Joe Gomez

[Shaggy]

[ame]https://twitter.com/AnfieldHQ/status/654658957823217666[/ame]

[Frenchie]

so we shouldn't send players..what the **** for..????

[Buzzo]

That seems to be something of an oversight.

So Under 21 players aren't insured by the FA basically.

What a shame for Joe, belting start to the season and now this...

[BootRoom]

He's a great young boy with all his muscles in the right place

[baitman]

That seems to be something of an oversight.

So Under 21 players aren't insured by the FA basically.

What a shame for Joe, belting start to the season and now this...

if the under 21s are not insured then we need to sue the fa for compo and negligence.

[Chazza]

Liverpool defender Joe Gomez will undergo surgery in London today on the cruciate ligament injury which has ended his season.

The 18-year-old has travelled down to the capital to go under the knife before embarking on a gruelling rehabilitation programme.

Gomez ruptured the ligament in his right knee during the closing stages of England Under-21s’ 3-0 victory over Kazakhstan at Coventry City last Tuesday. He’s expected to be sidelined for up to nine months.

Reds team-mate Danny Ings, who damaged the ACL in his left knee less than 24 hours later during a training session at Melwood, is also having surgery today.

The former Burnley striker’s comeback date will be earlier than Gomez’s because Ings only suffered a partial tear.

As there is no other damage to the other muscles and ligaments in Ings’ knee, the hope is that he will be back in action within six months.

The England international has vowed to work tirelessly to get fit and impress new boss Jurgen Klopp.

“The only way I can get in his thoughts and show him what a good professional I am is the way I am in the gym or by being positive around the lads,” said Ings.

“Sometimes negativity can rub off on players and I don’t want to affect their performance. When you are injured you have to keep a positive mindset and keep moving forward.

“There will be a few down days when I am not feeling myself and I am gutted I cannot be out with the team. But I am trying to stay as positive as I can be.”

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/liverpool-defender-joe-gomez-having-10294686

[McDermotX]

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/gomez-how-liverpool-fc-team-10430495?

Joe Gomez has revealed how Liverpool team-mate Lucas Leiva has been a pillar of support as the youngster embarks on his rehabilitation after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament.

The teenage Reds defender says the Brazilian has helped to lift his spirits since he underwent surgery last month.

Lucas has been passing on his experience having suffered the same injury in a League Cup against Chelsea four years ago. He was ruled out for a year but battled back to fitness and remains a key member of Jurgen Klopp’s side.

“From the start he came in and said to me: "I’ve done this before, I know what you’re going through,” Gomez told the ECHO.

“Lucas has been brilliant in terms of giving me advice and keeping me positive. Every day I see him he talks me through this stage of the injury and how it went for him.

“There have been times when you think the knee won’t be able to bend the same as it did and he’s been there to reassure me. He says: ‘don’t worry, it’s fine’.

“Everything he’s told me so far about what to expect has been spot on. Seeing how Lucas has been able to get back playing at the highest level spurs me on.

Lucas

[Buzzo]

Captain in all but name

[Nicey]

Captain in all but name

Has been for a very long time

[Yozza]

Gomez: How Ings has helped with injury rehabilitation

Joe Gomez has admitted his recovery from a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament would have been close to unbearable without Liverpool team-mate Danny Ings.

The defender suffered the season-ending setback while on England Under-21 duty in October. Just a day after he limped off against Kazakhstan, Ings was hit by the same problem during a routine training session at Melwood.

The blow came in Jurgen Klopp's first week in charge on Merseyside, with the duo later undergoing surgery in London.

Gomez, who has earned a place in Goal's 50 Best Players Under 18 list that will be unveiled on Wednesday, has now revealed how much the striker has helped him during the most difficult period of his career.

“We come in every morning, our schedule is quite set at the moment,” the 18-year-old told Goal.

“At first, I didn’t actually realise how much of a help he’d be during whole process. My injury hadn’t even properly hit me yet and Ingsy’s was a day later. It was gutting for us both and tough to take.

“We didn’t have time to digest it in the beginning, but there’s moments now I’ll be doing a session and think to myself ‘imagine if I had to do all this on my own.’ It would be hard to.

"He’s such an uplifting guy and that’s exactly what you need around you. We bounce off each other really well and it’s great that we can motivate each other during this period.”

Gomez also went into detail about his recovery programme, which has included training in different sports as he bids to become stronger ahead of his eventual return.

“The team are usually in much later, as the new manager likes training later, but we’re in early and we do swimming or a bit of boxing,” he explained.

“We like to get some cardiovascular work in to go with breakfast. Then we do a lot of strengthening work, to focus on core, balance and co-ordination.

"It’s just basically making sure that you’re getting stronger physically during this period while waiting for the bone to heal without aggravating it at all.”

Gomez has not kicked a ball under Klopp yet, but the manager is well aware of his qualities. The former Charlton academy graduate, who Liverpool signed in the summer for £3.5m, has already received plenty of encouraging words from his manager.

The confidence of Klopp, the company of Ings and the knowledge that he is highly thought of outside the club will provide comfort throughout his painful absence.

[Buzzo]

Nice article

What a season we've had with injuries I'd almost forgotten about these two. Both would be almost certain starters if they were available just now.

[Yozza]

Nice article

What a season we've had with injuries I'd almost forgotten about these two. Both would be almost certain starters if they were available just now.

Yep it's been a complete cluster**** of season regarding injuries - never known a season like it

[Chris]

Seven years ago, Joe Gomez was in tears after being turned away from Charlton’s academy. He had to be comforted by mum Linda, who convinced him that one day he would play in the Premier League.

The Liverpool defender relied on the same source of support last October when a scan delivered distressing results: Gomez had ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament which signalled the end of his season. In-between those two low points, the Catford-born teenager has enjoyed a stellar rise, which sees him secure 10th spot in Goal’s 50 Best Players Under 18 rankings.

At 6 foot 4, Joe Gomez does not look 18. He started this season - his first in the Premier League - as a left-back, a position he’d hardly played, but his youth proved no hindrance. And when he sits down for this exclusive with Goal in an office at Melwood sandwiched between the Players’ Walk, which leads to the dressing room, and the expansive workout area, he certainly does not speak like someone born in the era of Hanson and the Spice Girls.

“To be fair, my mum and my girlfriend are always reminding me that I’m only 18,” Gomez admits.

“I don’t see that because I compare myself to the people around me. So, for example [Martin] Skrtel, he’s been playing centre-back in the Premier League for years now and that’s what I’d like to do, so I don’t think about my age as much as I think about what I want to achieve.

“I don’t think of it like ‘oh, he’s 31, I’m just 18’ and I suppose it’s helped me so far because sometimes you can limit yourself if you’re focused on how young you are.”

MOVING ON UP

Gomez often needs to be reminded of all he’s already achieved as well, given how rapidly his career has developed. Last season marked his first as a professional footballer and he featured 24 times for Charlton in all competitions, with both Arsenal and Liverpool alerted to his positional intelligence, speed and expertise across defence.

It was the Merseysiders that recruited the gifted youngster, who grew up supporting Arsene Wenger’s side, for £3.5m in June last year.

“It’s been a weird but incredible time really, because even at Charlton my rise was so quick,” he explains. “I was playing Under-18s [2013/14], then in pre-season last year was promoted to training with the first team and that was surprising enough.

“As the season progressed, I played more and more games and by the end of it, it looked like I was going to get the opportunity to join Liverpool. It all happened so fast that I didn’t even get the chance to stop and think about it, to take it all in.”

Gomez, who has represented England at all youth levels and was named in the Team of the Tournament at the European Under-17 Championship in 2014, made an immediate impression on former manager Brendan Rodgers during the club’s pre-season tour. Liverpool were weighing up whether to send him out on loan to gain experience but after Gomez’s authoritative displays as a left full-back during the friendlies, the Northern Irishman declared: “he’ll be staying, he’ll get games.”

Rodgers started the athletic defender from south London in the first five league fixtures of the season, which included difficult trips to the Britannia Stadium, Old Trafford and the Emirates.

“Moving to Liverpool, I saw it as an opportunity to play in years to come for one of the top teams in the league, but I didn’t expect to be starting straight away,” Gomez admits.

“I just wanted to learn from the other players, develop, improve myself as much as possible, but I wasn’t thinking of being in the team immediately.

“When it happened, I was obviously very happy, but also aware that I needed to raise my level and push myself more.”
It wasn’t just the backroom staff who were instantly wowed by this towering youth. Liverpool supporters were equally enthused. “I think because I came from Charlton, not a lot of people knew me or expected anything much from me to start with,” Gomez admits.

“That worked in my favour. When I got games in pre-season, the support was overwhelming. I’ve got Twitter and stuff so I was taken aback by all the messages from fans telling me they were impressed with me and couldn’t wait to see more.

“Then I started the first few games of the season and there were good moments and also tough ones that help build experience, but it was nice that supporters took to me.”

THE ABC OF HIS ACL INJURY

Gomez’s dazzling start to life on Merseyside took a cruel twist in mid-October, at the worst possible time. Jurgen Klopp had been named as Rodgers’ successor during the international break, with the starlet away on England Under-21 duty. He was aware his new manager would be watching the encounter against Kazakhstan, which featured fellow Liverpool youngster Jordon Ibe.

However, with 10 minutes remaining in a 3-0 victory for his side, Gomez had to be helped off the pitch following an innocuous challenge. Initial thoughts were that the injury to his right knee was minor, but a scan crushed such hope.

“Even though I’ve been playing for a while, my career is still quite new so I’ve never had an injury from impact,” Gomez details.

“I felt pain, then thought it wasn't too bad, but could tell there was a problem. When I was going for the scan, I didn’t think it was anything major, I thought it was just a bruise. Once you find out that it’s something so serious, I was just in complete shock.
“I spoke to mum and I was just down for a long period of time. The mental aspect was the worst because for weeks you try to come to terms with not being able to play, which is really difficult and gutting because you just dwell on it.”

The first time Gomez interacted with Klopp was after receiving the harrowing results of his screening. “It [the German becoming Liverpool manager] was just announced one or two days before the U21s game and me and Jordon [Ibe] were saying we can’t wait to get back to see what he’s like.

“We were excited. We also thought he’d be watching our game and we both wanted to put on a good show, then the injury happened. The first time I actually met the manager was when I came back from my scan and found out I’d done my ACL.

“It obviously wasn’t the way I thought I’d first talk to him, or how I wanted to it to be, but I think this setback and the timing has helped me become stronger.”

COOLING OFF WITH KLOPP

The findings of the scan were softened by Gomez’s interaction with the charismatic former Borussia Dortmund manager. “He spoke to me straight away and said he likes my playing style, that he knows I can play across the back, that he was really sad about the injury but I’m young so have a lot of time to make up for these months of not playing,” the multi-functional defender explained.

“He said in terms of the physical side, obviously the physios and medical team will help me out, but that his door is always open if I need to talk to him about anything. Apart from that, the message has just been about me getting my head down, doing my bit in the gym, watching our games and learning as much as I can from the outside looking in.

“The way he is... it also makes the fact that I’m injured easier because he is so full of positive energy, is welcoming and is just brilliant with us. You know he's there for you.”

COMING BACK BETTER, FASTER, STRONGER

Watching his team-mates from a distance has been devastating for Gomez, especially during the club’s recent injury crisis. The game has been the 18-year-old’s ultimate solace. “Football has always been what I wanted to do, it’s always been in my head, I’ve never thought about doing anything else,” he says.
“My friends and people back home always ask ‘do you feel like you’ve made it?’ and I absolutely do not. There’s so much to achieve, so many things to improve and to challenge myself with. I didn’t feel like I made it when I joined Charlton’s first team or when I made my first start for Liverpool.

“Even though playing football is what I’ve wanted to do, and I have the chance to do so, I can’t get comfortable. My mind at the moment is completely focused on fighting back strong and hard after this injury, making sure I’m sharper and ready to contribute to the team again.”

Gomez points to a previous setback as he overcomes his current one. “When I was around 11, I first when on trial with Charlton. I went from playing for a Sunday League team to try out for them and I didn’t make it into their academy,” he reveals.

“I was so emotional, I went home and cried and told my mum I don’t want to go back there. At that age, it feels like it’s the end of the world. They called me back a few months later, and I’ve never let an opportunity slip since.”

When Gomez makes his Liverpool return, he’ll be happy to operate wherever Klopp wants him to. The manager has often referred to him when listing options at the heart of defence, and that position is the teenager’s end game.

http://www.goal.com/en/news/1862/premier-league/2016/01/20/19517662/-

Cant wait to see him back, he's going to be a legend here.

[Yozza]

Got his head screwed on - gonna be a big player going forward for us

[Yozza]

Liverpool FC youngster Joe Gomez on how Jurgen Klopp is helping coax him back to fitness

Injury-hit starlet sets sights on pre-season return to fitness

Joe Gomez has revealed how he is being cajoled back to fitness by Jurgen Klopp – and is targeting a pre-season return for Liverpool.

Gomez has been absent since suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury while playing for England under-21s in October.

The 18-year-old defender had previously made an impressive start to his Anfield career having arrived from Charlton Athletic during the summer, starting seven of the first 11 games of the season.

Gomez’s injury came just days after Klopp had replaced Brendan Rodgers as manager, with the youngster still yet to feature under the German.

And, speaking to @AnfieldHQ, he said: “Brendan brought me to the club and gave me my opportunity, but when you hear a top name in the world like Jurgen Klopp is coming in, your heart’s pumping.

“For me as a young player, having a manager like Jurgen Klopp come in, it’s a massive opportunity really and that was the first thing that came into my head.

“The first day I came in after the injury, I had the scan and that was his first day at Melwood.

“Obviously I was quite traumatised at the time after my scan, but he basically said I just had to stay positive, work to get back and obviously that has stuck with me ever since.

“It’s been a small bit of motivation for me to get back, so he’s been asking how I am every now and again so mentally that’s how I’m coping because that is probably the hardest part of the injury, the mental side, just being away from football.”

Gomez was instantly ruled out for the season after his injury, but says he is hopeful of being back with the remainder of the squad for pre-season in July.

“I can’t wait to get fit and just get back in with the team and playing, and that’s all that’s motivating me,” he said. That’s all I’m focused on that’s my main aim right now.

“I am in a positive place, my main aim is to get back with the team at the start of pre-season.

“I’m back outside now so that has been a big step up for me in terms of getting on with my rehab and doing my ball work and just trying to build up my fitness.

“So I’m going to work as hard as I can over the summer, and just try and get myself in the best possible position for the start of pre-season.”