Brendan Rodgers: Joe Gomez Staying With Liverpool In 2015-16, Won't Go On Loan

Joe Gomez needed less than two weeks to win over Brendan Rodgers.

Rodgers said Friday that Gomez, 18, will play for Liverpool in 2015-16, instead of joining another team on loan, as some expected. Rodgers revealed his plans for Gomez at his press conference following Liverpool’s 2-1 win over the Brisbane Roar in the second game of its 2015 preseason tour.

“He’s staying,” Rodgers said, according to LFCTour.com. “I’ve seen enough in this period in which you judge young players. I always bring them in and over preseason and have a good idea of whether we’re going to keep them or not.

“Seeing him, in particular close at hand and his personality –- he’ll be staying, he’ll get games.

Gomez joined Liverpool from Charlton Athletic at the beginning of this month in a transfer worth a reported £3.5 million ($5.5 million). Gomez already had demonstrated some versatility in his rookie season with Charlton, but his ability to play across the back line has emerged this preseason during Liverpool’s training camp and in exhibition games.

“He’s only 18 years of age, but seeing him play at left-back for the first time, he looked an outstanding athlete and a really good footballer,” Rodgers said. “I’ve seen him at centre-half and at right-back, but I wanted to see him at left-back — and I thought he was outstanding.”

Gomez’s long-term future probably lies at center back, but he might not play ahead of the likes of Martin Skrtel, Dejan Lovren and Mamadou Sakho. However, Liverpool will compete in four competitions in 2015-16, giving Gomez a number of chances to appear in meaningful games. Rodgers expects Gomez to impress wherever he plays.

“Gomez has played there (center back) a lot of his career,” Rodgers said. “We took him in from Charlton where he played as a centre-half as a two, played in a back three and he’s also played as a right-back, so he’s got all the tools to play across the back four. You saw him tonight play at left-back – he’s a big talent.”

Time is on Gomez’s side in terms of his career, but he’s wasting none at LFC.