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Liverpool defender Joe Gomez has opened up on his decision to pen a new contract at Anfield despite his reduced game time last season. The England defender has signed a new five-year contract which will keep him at the club until the summer of 2027.
Gomez has fallen down the pecking order under the management of Jurgen Klopp. Liverpool signed Ibrahima Konate from RB Leipzig last summer and he has broken into the first-team on the back of multiple impressive performances.
Joel Matip also had a great 2021-22 season alongside the seemingly undroppable Virgil van Dijk, making it difficult for Gomez to fight back into the reckoning.
Due to the above reasons, the 25-year-old understands why signing a new long-term deal has raised eyebrows. However, Gomez stated that he could not pass on the opportunity of being at Liverpool for the foreseeable future. The England defender is ready to fight for his place at the club.
Speaking exclusively to the Liverpool Echo, Gomez was quoted as saying the following:
“I can understand why people would have thought I’d be considering moving on, for sure, 100%. It’s apparent from my age now and based on my opportunities in the past, there was definitely still a decision for me to make.”
He added:
“I guess you could see it at as a crossroads. But speaking to the club, I knew it was an important decision for me to make. Fundamentally, the opportunity that I have here and the platform and the chance to be at this club is one that is hard to walk away from.”
Gomez concluded:
“Essentially, it was me accepting the fact I have got to take on the challenge.”
Gomez had very little game time during the 2021-22 season. The centre-back only managed 21 appearances for his side across all competitions despite having no injury concerns last time around.
He was often utilized as a right-back when Klopp decided to rest Trent Alexander-Arnold. However, the Reds have signed Scottish full-back Calvin Ramsay from Aberdeen this summer to play as a backup to Alexander-Arnold. This could see Gomez's playing time reduce even further.
Liverpool take on RB Leipzig in pre-season friendly
Liverpool will return to Europe from their Asian pre-season tour and will now travel to Germany to take on RB Leipzig on July 21. These will be their final preparations before the start of the 2022-23 season.
Klopp's side have won one and lost a game apiece in pre-season so far. The Reds suffered a 4-0 defeat against rivals Manchester United in Bangkok before beating Crystal Palace 2-0 in Singapore.
