Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has heaped praise on young centre back Joe Gomez, tipping the 21-year-old for big things in the future.
Both players are currently on international duty with England, and Henderson was gushing in his assessment of the 6’1″ Gomez, who has played a key role in the Liverpool defence that has only conceded one goal so far this season.
“He’s already very good, but he can be even better,” the Reds skipper told Sky Sports. “He’s still very young, he’s still improving, he’s still learning, and there’s no better place to do that than at Liverpool with the players that he’s got around him and the manager.”
How good can Joe Gomez become?
"He's still improving, still learning and there's no better place to do that than at @LFC with the players that he's got around him and the manager."
Jordan Henderson excited by Joe Gomez's potential: https://t.co/JslpOaaq18 pic.twitter.com/EIt7L2G5ZI
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) September 5, 2018
“And also here as well [England],” he said. “It’s a fantastic environment with the players, the manager, everybody here, it’s a fantastic environment for him to then bring that form into England and show how good he is against the best players in the world.
“So I’m excited for him because I know how good he can be. And he’s got the right mentality, as well, very mature for his age. His feet are firmly on the ground and he can be as good as he wants to be.”
OPINION
Anybody who has watched Gomez this season would surely agree with Henderson’s take, here. The 21-year-old has been superb for the Reds so far this term, forging an excellent partnership with January signing Virgil van Dijk. The pair have transformed the heart of the Liverpool defence from a weakness into a major strength, and Gomez has been a big part of that. He is one of the new breed of English footballers, smart and technical on the ball as well as being prepared for the physical part of the game. His potential, as Henderson says, appears to be unlimited. He should go on, along with John Stones and Harry Maguire, to be a key part of the centre of England’s defence for the next decade too. He is working under two excellent managers in Jurgen Klopp and Gareth Southgate, and they should help him get to the highest level he can. He is very much one for the present, as well as the future.
