Joe Gomez says Jurgen Klopp’s impending departure from Liverpool has provided the players with “extra emphasis” to finish the campaign strongly.
The Merseysiders claimed the season’s first piece of domestic silverware yesterday with a 1-0 EFL Cup win over Chelsea at Wembley – Virgil van Dijk nodding in the winner with two minutes to go in extra time.
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Klopp’s men are top of the Premier League and still in the FA Cup and Europa League as they chase the quadruple.
And Liverpool’s players are determined to send him off from Anfield on a high, according to defender Gomez.
The England international told the Guardian: “It doesn’t need to be spoken about. Everyone knows about the importance [of what it means to Klopp] and we get that aura anyway in team meetings at the minute.
“We know it’s that last hurrah and we just want to give our all for him. We always did but now when the finishing line is in sight it adds that extra emphasis. It’s special and hopefully it’s the first of a few we can get this year.”
Klopp threw in several youngsters yesterday with Liverpool shorn of a host of key players due to injury and he later described the win as “the most special trophy of his managerial career”.
He then led the squad in an emotional rendition of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ in front of the Liverpool fans.
So, so special ❤️ pic.twitter.com/wPSpkdMekm
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) February 26, 2024
Asked if scenes like yesterday’s could prompt Klopp to u-turn on his decision to leave the club at the end of the season, Gomez added: “Understanding how long he’s been here I think he knows he has done everything he can. He has won it all.
“Everyone respects his decision and we understand it. He is one of the wisest men we know and when he says he’s ready, he’s ready. It is what it is, we can’t dwell on that, we just have to do him justice. He definitely won’t [change his mind].”
The next challenge for Liverpool is Wednesday’s FA Cup fifth-round clash with Championship high-flyers Southampton at Anfield.
“We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves but we are in every competition and we are going to try to win every game,” Gomez said. “That’s the target and we will go again. We have a game again in three days so we’ll have to band the boys together and see what we can do.”