Joe Gomez describes himself as ‘a sponge’ working alongside the likes of van Dijk at Liverpool

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Liverpool youngster Joe Gomez could not have a better defensive partner to learn from in Virgil van Dijk.

Rather than view Virgil van Dijk as an obstacle in his path to becoming a starting Liverpool centre-back, England youngster Joe Gomez believes working alongside the Dutchman is perfect for his game, as he sets his eyes on becoming the Dutchman’s centre-back partner in the years to come at Anfield.

Gomez faced up against van Dijk as England took on the Netherlands on Friday, but only lasted 10 minutes before being forced off due to injury.

The 20-year-old former Charlton man has opened up on van Dijk’s move to Liverpool in an interview with Sky Sports, explaining that it has not hampered his transition from right-back to centre-half, and instead is embracing the fact that he has the opportunity to learn and develop alongside the world’s most expensive defender.

“I didn’t see it as blocking my path or anything like that. It’s a great opportunity to learn from him,” Gomez told Sky Sports.

“I am not overly stressing about it or paranoid about other people coming in. It’s great to be in environments where I can learn from players like that. I am just trying to soak it all up and be the best sponge I can be.

“I think he has a great presence, everyone sees that. He is very dominant in the way he plays and his body language shows that he has quality on the ball.”

The prospect of a Gomez-van Dijk partnership at the back must be devastatingly exciting for Reds fans given the lack of quality in terms of their central defensive options since the days of Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel.

With his ability to play right-back, Gomez may well earn a place in Gareth Southgate’s squad for Russia 2018 this summer, which would do the youngster a world of good in terms of experience.

With Joel Matip, Ragnar Klavan and Dejan Lovren as his direct competition, there is not too much quality standing in Gomez’s way in terms of a starting centre-back position in Jurgen Klopp’s team.

Should the youngster continue developing along the way he has been, there is no doubt he could go on to become an Anfield and England great.