Joe Gomez

A classy defender who can play anywhere across the back line, Joe Gomez has overcome serious injury setbacks to win a series of major honours with Liverpool FC.Signed as an 18-year-old from Charlton Athletic in the summer of 2015, he has since featured for the Reds at centre-back, right-back and left-back.Handed his senior debut on the opening day of 2015-16, Gomez sustained a serious knee injury while on international duty with England U21s shortly after Jürgen Klopp's appointment as manager in October 2015.After a 17-month spell on the sidelines, Gomez returned to action in January 2017 and then made 31 appearances in 2017-18 as Liverpool reached the Champions League final.An outstanding start to 2018-19 was rewarded with a new contract in December 2018, although his progress had been halted by a lower-leg fracture sustained a week before he put pen to paper.Gomez returned to fitness in April 2019 and featured in the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final of the Champions League as Liverpool went one better than 12 months earlier by beating Tottenham Hotspur in Madrid.The England international settled into the heart of Klopp's defence in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 campaigns, forming a formidable partnership with Virgil van Dijk as Liverpool claimed four major trophies across the two seasons.Gomez played 43 times in all competitions in 2019-20 – his highest number of appearances in a campaign since his arrival at Anfield – to help the Reds emphatically end their wait for a Premier League title with a club-record 99 points.In the early stages of the 2020-21 season, he sustained a knee injury while on duty with England during the November international break.

The issue required surgery and ruled Gomez out for the remainder of the term.He returned once again the following year, featuring on 21 occasions as Liverpool lifted the Carabao Cup and Emirates FA Cup, narrowly missed out on the championship and reached another Champions League final.Ahead of the 2022-23 campaign Gomez further extended his spell on Merseyside by signing a new long-term contract and also switched to shirt No.2 from his previous No.12.The defender was a fixture for the Reds in 2023-24, playing 51 times in a variety of roles – including midfield – and adding another Carabao Cup winner's medal to his haul.Gomez's reliability and versatility remained much appreciated as Arne Slot took charge, and he was part of a second Premier League title triumph in 2024-25.