Celtic tried to sign Joe Gomez from Liverpool in the summer when his future at Anfield looked distinctly uncertain.
No one really knew what the future held for Joe Gomez ahead of the 2017/18 season.
The defender looked like a real star for the future when he arrived at Liverpool from Charlton Athletic in 2015 but a year-and-a-half on the sidelines with a cruciate ligament injury left the Brendan Rodgers signing tumbling down the pecking order.
And though Gomez returned to full fitness in January, Rodgers’ successor Jurgen Klopp barely gave him a chance.
With The Sun reporting in June that Rodgers was interested in a reunion with Gomez at Celtic, it appeared that a move away from Anfield, whether temporary or permanent, would be the best thing for the 20-year-old’s development.
It’s a testament to how quickly Gomez’ standing has changed on Merseyside, then, that he is not only a first-team regular but a potential England international five months on.
Taken off
Nathanial Clyne’s ongoing injury problems has handed Gomez an opportunity both for club and country. The versatile defender has started eight of Liverpool’s 11 Premier League games so far this season, impressing to such a degree that he was handed a maiden international call-up by England boss Gareth Southgate last week.
Gomez could have been frantically attempting to rebuild his reputation against the likes of Kilmarnock and Hamilton in the Scottish Premiership this season.
Instead, he has now cemented his place as a regular fixture in a side with ambitions of qualifying for the Champions League – and could feature in glamour friendlies against Brazil and Germany with the Three Lions on his chest.
Rodgers may be ruing his failure to re-sign Gomez this summer with Celtic suffering a plethora of injuries in defence. But Gomez will be relieved that he was given a fresh start at Liverpool.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
