Joe Gomez: Liverpool defender agrees new long-term contract at Anfield

Liverpool defender Joe Gomez has signed a new long-term contract at Anfield.

The England international, 25, has put pen to paper on a five-year contract with the club which runs until the summer of 2027.

Gomez, who reportedly interested Aston Villa this summer, joined Charlton Athletic in June 2015 and has since won the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup, UEFA Super Cup and World Cup FIFA clubs with Liverpool.

However, the player – who can operate as a centre-back or full-back – has been unfortunate with injuries during his time on Merseyside, damaging his anterior cruciate ligament twice and fracturing his leg.

As a result, Gomez has made 142 appearances in total over seven years, while last season, despite his fitness, he made just 21 appearances in all competitions for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

“It’s obviously a special moment for me and my family,” he told the Liverpool website. “Another one you dreamed of as a kid that I don’t take for granted.

“It’s an amazing place; in my eyes probably one of the best – if not the best – clubs in the world at the moment. The opportunity to extend my stay here was an easy decision to make, really.

Liverpool already regard Gomez as one of England’s best centre-backs and are delighted there is more to come from him

“Obviously I’ve been here for a while now, but in the grand scheme of things I still feel young and, as you say, the best years are ahead of me. I have more to learn and time to do it. TO DO.

“I think I have the platform here to do that with the manager 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 do one, maybe two, better than last season and aim for everything.

“We definitely have the ability to do it and the belief is there, it’s just about taking it one game at a time, like we did last season, and just being true to ourselves, by playing as we play under the direction of the gaffer.

“Who’s to say we can’t keep doing more than we did last season?”

Gomez has also been capped 11 times by his country and is hoping to make Gareth Southgate’s squad for this winter’s World Cup in Qatar.

‘At the end of the day, a simple decision for Gomez’

Sky Sports News reporter Vinny O’Connor’s analysis:

“Joe Gomez thinks he’s at one of the best clubs in the world, if not the best, which ultimately made his decision relatively simple.

“He would have hoped to make more appearances than the 21 he made last season, after 2020-21 was ruined by the serious knee injury he suffered on international duty.

“At the same time, he feels that staying at Liverpool and continuing his development under Jurgen Klopp and his coaching staff gives him the best opportunity to prove that his best years are ahead of him.

“And Liverpool clearly have confidence that he will live up to that. They see him as an elite player in an elite team and the length of the contract reflects that.

“In Gomez they believe they have an exemplary professional whose attitude and commitment are infectious. And the club already regard him as one of England’s finest centre-backs and are delighted that there is more to come from him.”

Liverpool fixtures: Reds start at Fulham

Liverpool begin the 2022/23 Premier League campaign with a lunchtime trip to newly-promoted Fulham on Saturday August 6.

This will be the fourth season in a row that Liverpool have started a new campaign against a newcomer to the Premier League.

But having next faced Crystal Palace, Jurgen Klopp’s side will face Man Utd at Old Trafford on August 20.

September will include away trips to Everton and Chelsea in September and Liverpool will also face back-to-back clashes against Arsenal and champions Man City on October 8 and 15 respectively.

Liverpool’s last game before the season’s temporary halt for the Winter World Cup will be against Southampton at Anfield on November 12 before returning to action at Aston Villa on Boxing Day.

The Reds then host rivals United on March 4, before awkward clashes on back-to-back weekends at City (April 1) and against Arsenal at Anfield (April 8), before ending the season at Southampton.

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Keep up to date with all the latest transfer news and rumors in our dedicated Transfer Center Blog on Sky Sports’ digital platforms. You can also catch up on the ins, outs and analysis at Sky Sports News.