Joe Gomez Explains Why He'll 'Always Be Grateful' to Liverpool Manager Jurgen Klopp

Liverpool defender Joe Gomez, who has been thriving this season after a long battle with injury, has revealed that he will 'always be grateful' to Reds manager

Liverpool defender Joe Gomez, who has been thriving this season after a long battle with injury, has revealed that he will 'always be grateful' to Reds manager Jurgen Klopp for the way he treated him throughout his time on the sidelines.

Gomez arrived at Liverpool from boyhood club Charlton Athletic in 2015 when he was still 18 years of age. Despite his youth, he made a strong early impact until suffering a serious knee injury while on international duty for England's Under-21 team.

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Brendan Rodgers was then sacked and it would have been easy for Klopp to come in and simply ignore Gomez while bringing in a fresh approach. Crucially for the young defender, he didn't.

"When [Klopp] came in, I was going through a tough time. He didn't need to look after me the way he did," Gomez explained to the Daily Mirror. 

"He was always looking after my emotional state rather than talking about where I was at with rehab," the player, still several months shy of his 21st birthday, added.

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Gomez didn't even return to full training for a whole year after his injury and was back on the pitch in a competitive setting for the first time in January 2017. He played twice more by the end of last season and that patience from Klopp has seen the player subsequently flourish.

"He has such a good relationship with all of his players, knowing when to talk to you, when to leave you, and he's been great for me, especially through the tough time I've been through. It's something I'll always be grateful for," Gomez went on to say.

"Coming here to Liverpool, with the history of playing young players, it was the place to go to if I was to move. They've not let me down. I can't give enough thanks to the manager here, the club and it's been fantastic for me."