Joe Gomez On His Super Sub Appearance: You Have To Be Ready

Photo by Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

The longest tenured Liverpool player still has much more in the tank to offer the Reds this season, as he showed this week.

Liverpool went into the break against Brighton yesterday having played arguably the worst 45 minutes under Arne Slot’s short reign. To cap it all off, Ibrahima Konate picked up an injury after a last-minute coming together with teammate Virgil van Dijk.

In response, Slot called upon Joe Gomez to fill Ibou’s impressive shoes, and JoGo hardly put a foot wrong, helping the Reds to score two and secure the come-from-behind win.

“I think firstly it’s a worry, it’s ‘Is Ibou OK? What is it?’” Gomez said to the official club website, “But there’s not really time and obviously he went with the medical staff and then you don’t really see him and you’re just told you’re coming on.

“I think you have to be ready: I think every time you are on the bench you are not just a spectator, you know you are here to participate and do your job so obviously it takes a moment to get yourself together, but it’s great to be part of the team and get a win.

“It’s always special. Obviously this is home for me and the club means everything to me, so the most important thing is – cliché – that we got the win, but the boys, we keep the momentum now going into a big game in the Champions League.

“We just want to keep fighting, stay up there, keep capitalizing on other teams dropping points and that’s where we belong, to be up there competing. So, that’s the main thing.”

Gomez even got in on the attack, testing the keeper with not one, but two shots. Sadly, his first Liverpool goal will have to wait, as the keeper selfishly saved both efforts.

That won’t stop Joe from dreaming of a goal for the Reds, and his yellow-worthy excessive celebration thereafter.

“Yeah, I definitely would have got a yellow [card] if I’d have scored there today! I thought I had too much time [for his first chance] and then I half wanted it to be offside so I had an excuse! But it’ll come one day.”

Gomez on #TeamNoPants confirmed.