This weekend sees England in action against Brazil, and Liverpool’s Joe Gomez could feature at some point for the first time in four years.
The centre-back has been out of the international picture for a while now, but his impressive form for a Reds side that have matched the very best in the division toe-to-toe since September has been a joy to watch.
Alongside Virgil van Dijk, Gomez has been rock solid in the main, and therefore, his international call-up doesn’t come as that much of a surprise.
Joe Gomez lauds Jurgen Klopp as England awaits
Gareth Southgate can count his lucky stars just what a plethora of talent he has in defence, and it will be interesting to see which two teams he puts out in the games over the coming few days.
Whether or not Gomez starts or plays any part, it’s clear who he believes has had the most influence on getting him back into the international scene.
“The gaffer [Klopp] at the club is one of a kind and I obviously owe a lot to him,” he said to the official Liverpool website, noting the support he received from his manager once his call-up was announced.
“He has been probably the biggest influence on my career definitely.
“It’s nice to have that support from your manager. I definitely didn’t ask him to do it! But he has obviously been a massive influence on me, not just as a player but as a person, so that was obviously nice of him.”
It isn’t just Gomez who has become a better player under the German.
Klopp seems to have that gift of making people feel good about themselves, and in that sort of environment, they’re bound to feel more confident and able to give of their best.
England could well be the beneficiaries of Gomez’s new-found confidence during the European Championship as a result.