Joe Gomez was delighted after making his first Premier League start for Liverpool in 468 days.
Gomez played the full 90 minutes of Liverpool's 3-1 home win over Norwich on Saturday after being handed his first top-flight start since November 2020.
The 24-year-old admits he has grown frustrated with his bit-part role in the squad this season, but was happy to finally see the reward for his hard work behind the scenes as the Reds moved to within six points of Manchester City at the top of the table.
What's been said?
“Obviously it’s been a moment I’ve thought about for a long time,” Gomez told Liverpool's official website.
“I’ve had to wait longer than I would have hoped, but at the end of the day I’ve had to keep working and be the best member of the squad I can be, pushing the lads and doing my bit as well away from the pitch to try and be ready physically and mentally. So yeah, it does mean a lot.”
Gomez on Alexander-Arnold
Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate are all currently ahead of Gomez in the central defender pecking order at Anfield, but he was able to step in at right-back against Norwich as Klopp opted to rest Alexander-Arnold.
Gomez is not expecting to replace his fellow England international on a regular basis, and says he resisted the urge to try and copy his style of play.
"Obviously, I think Trent is in a world of his own and I’m not Trent, especially not at full-back," he added.
"I think you have to come in with that mindset that you have to do what you do, and I don’t think the gaffer expects that [to emulate Alexander-Arnold].
"Trent is a real playmaker for us and that sort of player in the team, but I have to believe in my own attributes and my own strengths and try and play to that.
"It would be easy to get caught up in that mentality and try and go above and beyond and do something that’s maybe not me."
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