BBC pundit Danny Murphy has raved about Liverpool defender Joe Gomez following his display for England in their 2-1 loss to Spain on Saturday evening.
The Three Lions were subjected to a defeat in their UEFA Nations League opener, but Murphy was full of praise for the 21-year-old, explaining that he is the one reason why the Reds have not had to seek out a centre-back partner for Virgil Van Dijk this summer.
He continued to wax lyrical about the 6ft 2in [Transfermarkt] star, commenting on how he is a calm player who does not panic if he has a bad moment in a match.
“He’s technically good and a powerful athlete. He is the reason Liverpool haven’t needed to go big in the transfer market to find a partner for Virgil Van Dijk,” Murphy wrote in his column in the Daily Mail’s print edition [Sunday, 9th September].
“Besides his obvious strengths, Gomez doesn’t seem to worry if he has a bad moment in the match. He is a calm rather than erratic, and that’s a good quality to have. He’s in the England set-up to stay.
“Gareth [Southgate] will have seen him stay assured last night after the setback of conceding twice in the first half. That’s important at this level.”
OPINION
Murphy is right to heap praise on Gomez in the way that he has, as he has certainly stepped up a gear in recent times. Pundits have been queuing up to rave about the youngster, and rightly so. He formed part of the back three against Spain on Saturday night, and what a performance he had alongside the likes of John Stones and Harry Maguire. Even though he is young, he showed a composed nature in his display, which is a rare attribute for someone so young. He certainly played well beyond his years, and he maintains this type of form, he will be a first team regular for both Liverpool and England for years to come. Both his club and country are lucky to have a player like him amongst their ranks – and he is only going to get better and better throughout the next couple of seasons.
