Arne Slot has been quite the appointment for Liverpool, with the Dutch coach taking the Reds top of the Premier League having made just one signing in the summer.
The former Feyenoord manager has inherited Jurgen Klopp’s squad and pushed them to the next level, with Slot taking the likes of Luis Diaz and Ryan Gravenberch and getting the best out of them in a Liverpool side that currently looks unstoppable.
With Andy Robertson detailing how Slot has changed Liverpool team meetings, the evolution of the Anfield side has been a sight to behold this season, with the Reds looking like a team that could dominate for years to come.
And Slot has now praised one Liverpool player who has hardly featured this season.
Slot lauds ‘special’ Joe Gomez mentality after stop-start season
Speaking to the press ahead of tomorrow’s clash against Newcastle United, Slot hailed Joe Gomez and how the Liverpool defender’s mentality is ‘special’ when compared to other player he has worked with, with the England international making just three starts in all competitions.
Slot said when asked about Gomez’s ability to fit in seamlessly into Liverpool’s starting XI: “Everybody sees his quality, but it shows his mentality and how impressed I am with it. It’s not easy to come into a game or to replace someone that did well, and Konate did really well.
“It’s not the first time he’s experienced this, some players can do this for a season and then they say: ‘Okay, now I want to go somewhere else,’ but Joe is patient in a good way. He always makes sure he is ready when his club and his teammates need him, and that’s special when it comes to his mentality, not many players can do this for so many years like he has.
“For him to keep doing this probably tells you a lot about his mentality but also what he does on a daily basis in training sessions and at home to stay as fit as he is, because he is incredibly fit and ready to perform. That is more special than people think it is, that’s definitely true.”
Liverpool will be thankful that Gomez didn’t leave this summer
It feels like a lifetime ago when Gomez was strongly linked with a move away from Liverpool in the summer transfer window, with the 27-year-old defender ultimately staying on Merseyside despite Premier League interest.
Yet fast-forward to now and Ibrahima Konate picking up an injury for Liverpool that could keep the defender out of action for some weeks, and keeping Gomez around suddenly feels like a smart decision from the Reds.
Indeed, the former Charlton Athletic defender could be set for a long run-out in the Liverpool starting XI alongside Virgil van Dijk, and Gomez will want to prove himself in the festive period having made just one Premier League start all season.
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