Gomez: I could never have dreamed of this
Joe Gomez admitted he could 'never have dreamed' of his meteoric rise a few months ago after enjoying an impressive Barclays Premier League debut during Liverpool's opening-day win over Stoke City on Sunday.
The 18-year-old was an assured presence at left-back for the Reds as they put last season's 6-1 defeat at the Britannia Stadium to bed by earning a dogged 1-0 victory.
Brendan Rodgers' side were resolute at the back throughout, thanks in no small part to Gomez - and the defender, who arrived at Anfield from Charlton Athletic earlier this summer, was thankful to the boss and his teammates for helping him to make the step up to the top flight.
"It was a great experience and obviously getting the win at the end made it better," he told Liverpoolfc.com.
"The last few months, I would never have dreamed that I'd get the opportunity as quickly as I have.
"It's just thanks to the team and the gaffer for giving me the opportunity to play, but it was a good result for the team and that's the main thing.
"One of the reasons I wanted to come to Liverpool is because Brendan is such a great manager giving young players opportunities and I'm thankful for that."
Gomez went on to reveal that the players who featured in last season's heavy defeat to Stoke were particularly keen to put things right with a win at the Britannia.
"It was only used as motivation to come back here and get a result," he continued.
"I don't think there was any negativity about looking back at what happened.
"All the boys used it as motivation and it made it that bit more important to try and get the win."
The England U19 international also hailed the strong team spirit at Anfield, which he believes can be the foundation for a successful season.
"There seems to be a great vibe in the changing room and all the boys seem to get on well," added Gomez.
"Everyone wants to do well this season and there's a real hunger in the team so hopefully we can do good things."