Liverpool defender Ragnar Klavan thinks Joe Gomez’s injuries have made him mentally stronger.
Gomez was signed from Charlton Athletic by former Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers in the summer of 2015 and quickly drafted into first team duty at left-back.
But the 20-year-old’s time in the side did not last long after he picked up a cruciate ligament injury on England Under-21 duty.
As a result, Gomez spent around a year on the sidelines before returning to first team action in a FA Cup game against Plymouth Argyle in January.
The youngster, who made just three appearances last season, with all of those coming in the FA Cup, has featured heavily for Liverpool in the present campaign.
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Gomez also made his senior England debut during the latest round of international games, playing against both Germany and Brazil.
And Klavan, who explained that Gomez’s impressive displays for the Three Lions did not surprise him, feels his Liverpool team-mate’s mentality has strengthened, owing to his injuries.
“I’m really pleased [for Gomez]”, Klavan told the club’s official site.
“He’s a really nice guy and really, congratulations to him.
“It’s well deserved and I could see already when I came last year that he’s eager to learn and he’s training hard, doing the extra work and this is the key to make those steps forward and I’m really happy for him.
“No [Gomez’s performances for England didn’t come as a surprise me].
“He’s a good guy, he’s a really good player.
“Especially with those injuries that he had, he was a long time out and I think this also made him mentally more stronger and this is a good thing, to have a good mentality and be strong, to keep on fighting and keep on training and you see those rewards are coming.”
Gomez has thus far made 12 appearances in all competitions for Liverpool in the ongoing campaign, mostly playing as right-back.
