Joe Gomez reveals he rejected UCL side as he ‘wasn’t ready’, would make different choice now

Joe Gomez has revealed he passed on the chance to join RB Leipzig before he joined Liverpool as he “wasn’t ready” but thinks he would think “this is the way” if he was in the same position now.

Gomez was tipped as a future talent from a young age. That he made just 24 senior appearances for Charlton before making the move to Liverpool as an 18-year-old highlights just how highly he was thought of at the start of his career.

He’s played 182 times for the Reds, and has become a more consistent figure in Jurgen Klopp’s plans as time has gone on. That might not have been the case at one point, though, as he had the chance to move to RB Leipzig before joining Liverpool, but turned it down

“In the January [of 2015], I went to Red Bull Leipzig,” he told Total Media.

“I had only played half a season, they were still in the Bundesliga 2. In hindsight, they are a great club but I wasn’t ready. I went with my mum, my dad and my missus wasn’t feeling it either. I knew I wasn’t ready, but the opportunity to go came up.”

A few months later, he made his move to the Reds, and has remained there since. However, he admits that if he knew what he knows now, regarding players using the league as a stepping stone, as well as Leipzig making it to the Champions League, he’d have made a different choice.

“If you play in Germany [today], the likelihood is you’re coming back. At the time, for me, there weren’t many examples of that yet. Maybe today I would be like, ‘wow, this is the way’,” Gomez said.

Indeed, Jadon Sancho and Jonjoe Kenny are examples of players who moved to the Bundesliga and then returned to the Premier League, though the latter only went on loan, and is actually now back in Germany permanently.

For Sancho, though, the development opportunities while playing for Borussia Dortmund were invaluable, and he became a great talent, though things have gone south since.

While Gomez feels he might have made a different decision if given the option now, it seems he was more than happy when the chance to join Liverpool arose.

“I met Brendan [Rodgers] and I always had a soft spot for Liverpool. As a club, it had a warmth to it. I met Brendan and he was a likeable person,” Gomez added.

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