Joe Gomez has hailed his defensive partner Virgil van Dijk for the mutual support offered whilst the pair were out of action last season with long-term injuries.

This comes from Liverpoolfc.com (via Empire of the Kop), with the Englishman having since joined his fellow teammates in Austria for Liverpool’s pre-season training camp.

“There were so many moments, right at the beginning, when [Virg and me] were at home on the sofa and couldn’t move, and we were FaceTiming and speaking about things,” the England international was quoted as saying.

“It’s someone to relate to, to vent to at times when you’re frustrated, so it was massive.

“I think we’re both thankful to have had each other; it was cruel circumstances, but it definitely made things easier.”

The duo had been ruled out for the season, with the 24-year-old suffering an injury on international duty and the Dutchman rupturing his ACL following a challenge from Jordan Pickford in the Merseyside derby last year.