Liverpool defender Joe Gomez is happy to be back with the English national team, The Three Lions, as he says it helps him slam the door on psychological stress from close to four years ago.
The Reds star last played for England in October 2020 after he suffered a season-ending injury in November 2020 at an England training. The surgery he had on the knee injury saw the last of him for the 2020/2021 season.
He stated that the situation left him in a tough place psychologically, especially as he needed to do more to get back into the team, which has taken him a further two years.
“Getting out in the warm-up, it was nice to close that chapter. I’d be lying if it didn’t have a psychological toll. I left the training pitch in an ambulance. Leaving and not getting a chance to come back was tough to deal with. It’s nice to get back in the mix and close that chapter. At the time, I was 22, and being away for so long, naturally, everyone gets older. You get a different outlook and perspective. You’ve got to be grateful to be here.” Gomez said.
The 26-year-old has played 37 matches in all competitions for Liverpool this season, and he hopes the friendly matches against Brazil and Belgium this March will help him secure a European championship spot on the team.
Joe Gomez has also expressed his eagerness to play at Wembley again for England, despite facing an unpleasant reaction from the crowd during his previous match there.
The Liverpool defender experienced dismay when he was booed by some England supporters as he entered the field as a substitute in a game against Montenegro on November 14, 2019.
This incident occurred shortly after Gomez was involved in a physical altercation that left him with a cut near his eye following a confrontation with fellow England teammate Raheem Sterling.
This clash happened at the England training camp and was preceded by a heated exchange during a match between Liverpool and Manchester City just a day before. When questioned about the negative reception he received, Gomez remarked that it was a challenging moment. However, he has put the situation behind him and is eager to play in front of the fans again.
Daniel Ademiju Idowu
