Versatile Liverpool defender Joe Gomez has broken into the first team under Jurgen Klopp this season - and he's so very grateful to his manager.

The 20-year-old - who is a centre-back by trade - has impressed at right-back during Nathaniel Clyne's extended spell on the sidelines.

"He’s still a young lad but of course he’s ready (for the Premier League)," Jurgen Klopp said. "No doubt about that.

"We want to have him for the next 15 years. He can play centre-back or full-back — that’s very good for us."

However, it's not all been plain sailing for the former Charlton Athletic starlet.

Gomez was ruled out for 14 months after suffering a serious knee injury, just days after Klopp arrived in Merseyside in October 2015.

The heartwarming thing Klopp did

Gomez has spoken about the making of his relationship with his German coach, explaining why he'll "always be grateful" for what Klopp did during his rehabilitation.

“When he (Klopp) came in, I was going through a tough time,” Gomez told the Mirror.

“He didn’t need to look after me the way he did. He was always looking after my emotional state rather than talking about where I was at with rehab.

“He has such a good relationship with all of his players, knowing when to talk to you, when to leave you, and he’s been great for me, especially through the tough time I’ve been through.

"It’s something I’ll always be grateful for.

“Coming here to Liverpool, with the history of playing young players, it was the place to go to if I was to move. They’ve not let me down. I can’t give enough thanks to the manager here, the club and it’s been fantastic for me.”

Gomez received his first England call-up from Gareth Southgate in 2017, making his debut against Germany before winning the Man of the Match award in a 0-0 draw against Brazil.

The youngster is expected to start in Sunday's tasty Premier League clash against runaway league leaders Manchester City.