Speaking in his recent press conference ahead of the Reds' clash with Newcastle United on Wednesday night, Slot had nothing but praise for Gomez, who will fill in for the injured Ibrahima Konate as Liverpool look to extend their unbeaten run.
He said, “I think everybody sees his quality but for exactly the reason you just said, it shows how his mentality is and how impressed I am by his mentality. Because it's not always easy to come in during a game or to replace a player that did so well, and I think (Ibrahima) Konate did really well. And it's not for the first time he's experiencing this.
“Some players can do this for a season and then they are like, 'Now I want to play, I want to go somewhere.' And Joe is patient in a good way, he always makes sure he is ready whenever the club or his teammates need him, and that is special when it comes to his mentality because not many players can do this for so many years that he has done this.
“But last season he played many, many, many games – I think you could call him a starter that season – and in some other seasons maybe he was more of the second choice in every other position in the last line. For him to keep doing this probably tells you a lot about his mentality but also what he does on a daily basis in training sessions and at home to stay as fit as he is, because he's incredibly fit and ready to perform. That is more special than people think it is, that's definitely true.”
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