OPINION
Chris Sutton has claimed that Joe Gomez should be in England’s Euro 2020 squad, and his verdict will have Liverpool fans feeling more than a little bit smug.
The Reds’ defender has been sidelined with a fractured leg in recent weeks, but that hasn’t stopped Sutton from arguing that he should be Gareth Southgate’s first choice centre-back next summer.
Most satisfying of all, however, will be the fact that the BBC pundit believes that Gomez should be given the nod over Manchester City defender John Stones, as posted on Twitter in Sunday evening.
On #BBC606 tonight we're asking…
Who would be in your #EURO2020 #ThreeLions starting line-up?
Here's @chris_sutton73's – do you agree?
Get involved & let us know ?
? 08085 909 693 ? 85058 ? #BBC606 pic.twitter.com/IWo5c3u7t4
— BBC 5 Live Sport (@5liveSport) March 24, 2019
That is a huge claim to make, but one that you could argue is more than justified.
Prior to his injury, Gomez was beginning to form a formidable partnership with Virgil van Dijk at the heart of the Liverpool defence, and there’s no reason to believe that he won’t keep getting better and better when he is fit enough to play again.
By contrast, Stones is in and out of the City lineup on a week by week basis, and while he is undoubtedly a fine player, you can’t help feeling that his potential might have started to plateau somewhat.
Gomez, on the other hand, is at the start of a path that had almost boundless possibilities. If he can get back to fitness and feature in the title run in, staking a claim for a spot in the UEFA Nations League finals this coming summer, and of he can get off to a flyer next campaign too, the spot is there for the taking.
And that would have Liverpool fans feeling more than a little bit full of themselves.
