04 March 2024 , 12:00
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Jurgen Klopp is not interested in picking Gareth Southgate’s England squad for him but can’t see why someone of Joe Gomez’s versatility wouldn’t be in it.
And he would even let the Liverpool defender take a penalty to break his goal drought - but only late in a game when winning comfortably!
The Kop manager hailed the defender and midfielder for showing his worth yet again to the Reds in a season in which he has played numerous roles.
Gomez, 26, has filled in at right back, left back, centre back and most recently midfield to against Southampton in the FA Cup and Nottingham Forest in the Premier League help the Reds through an injury crisis. He’s done it all while being one of the stand-out performers in Liverpool’s push for four trophies.
Gomez has endured injuries and spells out of the Reds team in recent years but his last England appearance came against Wales in 2020. He’s missed 46 games for the Reds since then and that includes a long spell out with a knee injury in 2020.
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But Southgate surely must be looking at the utility man for the upcoming friendlies against Brazil and Belgium this month with the Euros to come this summer.
Klopp said: “I am not standing here telling Gareth who he should pick but you can get one player and have four positions covered. Wonderful."
Joe Gomez has never scored a senior goal (Getty Images)Gomez has featured for Southgate at U21 level as well so it is clear there is an appreciation from the England boss for him. But maybe not quite the love that there is around Liverpool.
Gomez has been impressive at the back and midfield but he is yet to score a senior goal in 210 games for the Reds. It has brought about an annoying habit of cries of ‘shooooot’ every time he gets the ball near the box which Klopp angrily castigated the Main Stand for in last week’s win over Southampton in the FA Cup.
But there will be some outburst of joy should Gomez finally break his duck and Klopp has revealed he would let Gomez take a penalty to end the drought - just late on.
"As much as I would love to see it, I am not prepared for it,” said Klopp. “So I don't know how I will react, it will be spontaneous. Would I let him take a penalty? Yes, but in the 89th minute!
Gareth Southgate is preparing for England's upcoming friendlies against Brazil and Belgium (Getty Images)“It's just one of these stories, what a wonderful player he is and I am so happy he can show that again. The longer things are going on, the more difficult it is.
“He is not often in the situation, he is protection for the [offensive] set-pieces, he is not even in the area to just get hit by the ball because we need his speed for the protection.
“A transition in his mind from centre-half, full-back, right, left to the No.6 - if you would have played football at that level, the difference is [huge].
"All of a sudden the game is coming from all angles, left, right, here or there, all of a sudden, everything has changed and he dealt with it so well, it was crazy. It was really good and super important.”
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