Joe Gomez has been handed a deserved off-pitch honour at a time when Liverpool supporters are also wondering whether his long Anfield spell could be nearing an end.
Joe Gomez and Faye Kirby have both been named PFA Community Champions for 2026, recognising their work with the LFC Foundation across the 2025/26 season.
For our longest-serving current player, it’s another reminder of why he remains such a valuable figure at the club, even when injuries and selection calls have prevented him from playing as often as he would have liked.
Liverpoolfc.com confirmed that Gomez was presented with his award by Emmanuel, a Kirkby High School student who has been supported by the LFC Foundation’s Onside programme.
The 28-year-old visited Kirkby High School earlier this season as part of the Premier League’s More Than A Game campaign, with the session later featuring on BBC’s Match of the Day.
Speaking after receiving the award, Gomez said: “I’m super-proud. Obviously what we do on the pitch is massive, but this club is so much more than a football club.
“To be able to play a small part in having a positive impact means a lot and I don’t take it for granted and we know it’s our responsibility.”
The defender added: “The work of the LFC Foundation is huge and it can’t be overstated how much they do and how much of an impact they have in the community and we are lucky to have them.”
There’s a bigger footballing context here too, because Gomez’s future is far from certain.
The former Charlton Athletic defender has already admitted: “I think anything can happen. I don’t know is the honest answer. I’ve only got a year left on my contract, so I don’t know.”
Dominic King has also suggested that this might be the right time for the 273-appearance Red to seek a new challenge, with Crystal Palace, Brighton and AC Milan all said to retain interest.
Yet this award underlines what we’d be losing.
Gomez is versatile, humble, experienced and clearly connected to the wider values of Liverpool, not just the football team.
Finding another player of his quality who accepts spells out of the side, covers every defensive role and still represents the club so well off the pitch would be much harder than some may think.
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