Joe Gomez: Liverpool and England defender puts ‘psychological toll’ behind him

Joe Gomez says linking back up with England has closed a chapter on the “psychological toll” he suffered when he last reported for Three Lions duty.

The Liverpool defender, 26, suffered a season-ending knee injury during England training in November 2020.

Gomez could feature for Gareth Southgate’s team for the first time since October 2020 when Brazil visit Wembley for a friendly on Saturday.

“Getting out in the warm-up, it was nice to close that chapter,” he said.

Gomez underwent surgery on his left knee tendon, external after the injury which ruled him out for the rest of the 2020-21 campaign.

Speaking on Wednesday about the events back then, he added: “I’d be lying if it didn’t have a psychological toll.

“I left the training pitch in an ambulance. Leaving and not getting a chance to come back was tough to deal with. It’s nice to get back in the mix and close that chapter.

“At the time I was 22, being away for so long, naturally everyone gets older. You get a different outlook and perspective. You’ve got to be grateful to be here.”