Trent Alexander-Arnold has described Liverpool teammate Joe Gomez as a “mini Virgil van Dijk” following his impressive start to the season.
Gomez, 21, spent much of the 2017/18 campaign as Jurgen Klopp’s first choice right-back before sustaining a serious ankle injury which prevented him from being included in Gareth Southgate’s squad at the World Cup.
He’s since returned to full health and subsequently forged a mean centre-back partnership with Virgil van Dijk, which has played a part in the Reds currently having the joint-best defensive record in the Premier League.
And his performances haven’t gone unnoticed by Alexander-Arnold.
“He’s showing this season he is a top player,” he told Liverpool’s official website.
“At a young age, he’s one of the best in his position in the league. That takes some doing, so that’s credit to him especially with the setbacks he has had.
“He has an immense hunger and drive to keep succeeding, going forward and getting better. You see that every day in training with the way he applies himself.
“The relationship he has forged with Virgil has really helped him. He probably looks up to Virgil as a bit of a role model. It’s like he’s a mini-Virgil at times!”
Gomez joined Liverpool from boyhood club Charlton in the summer of 2014 for around £4 million and started to establish himself as a reliable squad player, with all of his minutes coming at left-back, before picking up an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
He’s fought back and has to date played 51 times for the Reds, registering three assists in the process, with all but seven of those appearances coming under Klopp.
His rise hasn’t escaped Southgate’s attention with him capping Gomez four times with his most notable performance coming up against Neymar and Brazil in November 2017.
The post “He’s like a mini-Van Dijk” – Alexander-Arnold hails Liverpool teammate Joe Gomez appeared first on Squawka News.
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