Gomez: Future star to current starter

The temptation, when discussing a player so youthful, is to reel off a number of facts which illustrate just how young they are.

Gomez, for example, was not alive when Michael Owen made his Liverpool debut; he was just a few weeks old when Hanson’s seminal pop rock hit ‘MMMBop’ went to no.1 in the charts.

He is still just a teenager but, somehow, that is not one of the more unbelievable aspects of his rapid rise as Liverpool’s first-choice left-back.

He has now played more league games at left-back for Liverpool than he did for Charlton, having spent the majority of his time at the Valley as a centre-back or right-back.

He also arrived at Anfield having played just 21 games, or 1,478 minutes, of league football in his entire career. The largest crowd he played in front of came in at just over 26,000 at Ipswich’s Portman Road.

He has also moved from a Championship club with little expectation to the pressures of the Premier League and Liverpool.

And yet, there he was, at left-back, in front of 60,000 fans at the Emirates Stadium, playing for Liverpool in the Premier League – just as he was, albeit in smaller stadiums, at the Britannia Stadium against Stoke, and at Anfield against Bournemouth.

What’s more, he has caught the eye in his first three appearances, particularly against Arsenal. He faced a team renowned for their intricacy and ingenuity, both on and off the ball, but Gomez stood firm. His recovery pace is impressive; so, too, his determination to stop crosses from coming in out wide.

It is some feat to start a career like this with so many alien situations to deal with. New league, new pressures, a relatively new position. No problem.

The acclimatisation has been instant. Few players have arrived with so much to learn but have settled so quickly. He is quick, fearless in the challenge, and uses the ball well – even on the 'wrong' side of defence.

He has sent Alberto Moreno to the bench and Andre Wisdom to Norwich, and now, he is outperforming the top four’s first-choice left-backs so far - winning more tackles, making more clearances, blocking more shots and intercepting more balls than any of them.

A by-product of Liverpool’s new-found defensive solidity, granted, but good company to keep nevertheless.

Liverpool, and the supporters, must not get too carried away. There will be games where he struggles, games when it is evident he is a young player, playing out of position, in an unfamiliar league. His three yellow cards are, perhaps, testament to that.

But he has fantastic support at the club. Indeed, this could be a reason why he has flourished so much in his first month at Anfield. He is part of a new-look squad, one which has been shaped over the summer with character in mind.

Players such as James Milner, Christian Benteke, Nathaniel Clyne and Roberto Firmino have arrived because of what they can do with their feet and minds; they have been signed to improve the team, but also to add a strong mentality, lacking so often last season.

That sort of environment will only help Gomez. On the pitch, too, the teenager has been supported; Milner, Jordan Henderson and Lucas Leiva have helped positionally, while Dejan Lovren can often be seen talking to him throughout the game. Even Philippe Coutinho worked hard to ensure the left-back was not exposed on Monday.

There will be tougher times ahead, no doubt, but from that will come experience of how to deal with the fallout of it.

It is very early days for Gomez – just three competitive games in the Premier League – but, for now, Liverpool have themselves a bargain at just £3.5million.

He is still to be regarded as one for the future, but the here and now looks promising, too.

Source: Liverpool Echo

This story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.

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