Joe Gomez believes Jürgen Klopp’s “last hurrah” has given Liverpool added incentive for their pursuit of a quadruple but nothing will change the manager’s mind about leaving at the end of the season. Liverpool claimed the first trophy of the season in memorable fashion on Sunday when a depleted, inexperienced side defeated Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final.
Klopp described the victory as the most special trophy of his managerial career and Gomez said the players are giving their all to ensure the 56-year-old is given the perfect send-off. “It doesn’t need to be spoken about,” the defender said. “Everyone knows about the importance [of what it means to Klopp] and we get that aura anyway in team meetings.
“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.”
An emotional Klopp led his team in prolonged celebrations in front of the Liverpool fans at Wembley but not even those scenes, nor the manner of victory with a young team, could tempt the manager into a U-turn about his future, said Gomez. The England international, when asked if he wondered why Klopp was leaving, said: “Of course, but 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].”
Klopp introduced academy graduates Jayden Danns, James McConnell, Bobby Clark and Jarell Quansah in the final and Liverpool dominated Chelsea in extra time, when Virgil van Dijk’s late header sealed victory. Gomez believes the manager’s trust in young talent paid rich dividends.
“He makes the younger lads feel so confident and comfortable to make the impact they made,” the 26-year-old said. “A lot of us have been nurtured by him and he’s unbelievable at that. He’s such a great manager and creates an environment where the boys can come in and express themselves. It’s special for the young boys, they deserve a big mention as they came in for a cup final and all of us feel that [pressure] so they will too. I hope they enjoy it.”
Gomez said the support Liverpool received from their fans was also a factor in pushing a depleted team over the line and was a marked contrast to the backing for Chelsea. “I’m not one for cliches but I think we have the best fans in the world,” he said. “It’s a 50-50 stadium but it’s evident how superior our fans are in comparison. I hope they realise that and how much it means to us. You see the opposite side [Chelsea] and they need that boost and we just get it and it helps us so much. That is one thing we are all grateful for.
“The gaffer has the mindfulness to say ‘Let’s enjoy this moment’ and rightly so. The fans are the reason why we do it. We have to enjoy it. We are still in the middle of the season and it’s not done but if we don’t savour these moments what do we do it for?”
The Carabao Cup could be the first of several trophies this season for Liverpool, who lead the Premier League, are favourites to win the Europa League and host Southampton in the FA Cup at Anfield on Wednesday. “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.”
