Liverpool defender Joe Gomez has signed a new long-term contract at Anfield.
The 25-year-old English international has put pencils on paper over a five-year contract with the club that will last until the summer of 2027.
Gomez, who was an interesting Aston Villa this summer, joined Charlton Athletic in June 2015 and has since won the Premier League, the Champions League, the FA Cup, the Carabao Cup, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup with Liverpool.
However, the player, who may function as a center-back or as a winger, has had lamentations with injuries during his stay at Merseyside, with injuries to his anterior cruciate ligament and leg fracture twice.
Image: Liverpool defender Joe Gomez has suffered two ACLs at Anfield
As a result, Gomez has played a total of 142 games in seven years, while last season, despite being fit, he only participated in 21 games in all competitions with Jurgen Klopp’s team.
“Obviously, it’s a special time for me and my family,” he said on the Liverpool website. “Another that you dream of as a child and that I don’t take for granted.
“It’s an amazing place to be; in my eyes, probably one of the best – if not the best – clubs in the world right now. The opportunity to extend my stay here was an easy decision to make, really.
Liverpool already see Gomez as one of the best central defenders in England and are excited about the prospect of more coming from him Sky Sports News journalist Vinny O’Connor
“Obviously I’ve been here for a long time, but in the grand scheme of things I still feel young and, as you say, the best years are ahead. I have more to learn and time to do it.
“I think I have the platform here to do it with the coach and the coaching staff around me and my teammates, to make sure the best years are ahead.
“I think as a group, the sky is the limit. We want to go one, if not two, better than last season and score everything.
Image: Joe Gomez hopes to be on the plane with England for this winter’s World Cup
“We definitely have the ability to do that and the belief is there, it’s just about playing one game at a time, like we did last season, and being true to ourselves, playing the way we play under the guidance of gaffer.
“Who’s to say we can’t keep doing more than we did last season?”
Gomez has also been called up 11 times by his country and will look forward to being part of Gareth Southgate’s squad for this winter’s World Cup in Qatar.
“Ultimately, a simple decision for Gomez”
Analysis by Sky Sports News journalist Vinny O’Connor:
Image: Liverpool see Gomez as an elite player on an elite team and the length of his new contract reflects this
“Joe Gomez believes he is in one of the best clubs in the world, if not the best, ultimately, that made his decision relatively straightforward.
“I would have expected to make more appearances than the 21 he made last season, after 2020-21 was ruined by the serious knee injury he suffered as an international.
“At the same time, he feels that staying at Liverpool and continuing his development with Jurgen Klopp and his coaching staff gives him the best opportunity to prove that his best years are ahead.
“And Liverpool clearly have the faith that they will live up to that. They see him as an elite player on an elite team and the length of the contract reflects that.
“Gómez is believed to have an exemplary professional whose attitude and commitment are contagious. And the club already sees him as one of the best central defenders in England and is excited about the prospect that there is more to come from him.” .
Liverpool games: The Reds start at Fulham
Liverpool begin the 2022/23 Premier League campaign with a lunchtime trip to the newly promoted Fulham on Saturday 6 August.
It will be the fourth consecutive season in which Liverpool have started a new campaign against a newcomer to the Premier League.
But after facing Crystal Palace, Jurgen Klopp’s team will face Man Utd at Old Trafford on August 20th.
September will feature away trips to both Everton and Chelsea in September and Liverpool will also face consecutive clashes against Arsenal and champions Man City on 8 and 15 October, respectively.
Liverpool’s last game before the season is temporarily halted for the Winter World Cup will be against Southampton at Anfield on 12 November before returning to action at Aston Villa on Christmas Day.
The Reds then host United’s arch-rival on March 4, ahead of tricky clashes on consecutive weekends at City (April 1) and against Arsenal at Anfield (April 8). , before the end of the season in Southampton.
Follow the summer transfer window with Sky Sports
Who will move this summer before the transfer period closes at 11pm on September 1st?
Keep up to date with all the latest news and rumors about transfers on our blog dedicated to the Sky Sports Digital Platform Transfer Center. You can also catch up on details, outings and analysis at Sky Sports News.