Born again Joe Gomez is happy to return to scene of heartbreak at St George’s Park four years on from freak knee injury during last England call-up

The memories came flooding back for Joe Gomez. The pain. The woe. The sight of his kneecap half way up his thigh.

Last week, when England manager Gareth Southgate handed the Liverpool defender his first call-up in four years, Gomez knew it was coming.

It was like he was returning to the scene of the crime. Because the last time Gomez was at St George’s Park on international duty, he left in an ambulance after suffering a freak knee injury in training.

So, when he stepped out on to the same training pitch, you could forgive the versatile defender for becoming somewhat emotional.

‘It is surreal, just because four years is quite a long time and I spent a fair amount of that wanting to be back in the mix,’ Gomez explained.

Gomez has received his first England call-up since leaving the training ground in an ambulance

His good form for Liverpool has earnt him a return to international football under Southgate

‘I would be lying if I said it did not have a psychological toll as I left here in an ambulance quite abruptly. It means a lot to me.

‘I prepared myself, but I think naturally there was a bit of an underlying trauma that I can draw a line under now.

‘Just doing the warm-up, it was nice to feel like I could close that chapter, not to be over-dramatic.

‘Everyone gets injured, that is part of the game, but with it being so sudden, never getting a chance to come back was tough to deal with. So it has meant a lot to be in the mix, be with the boys and close that chapter. I remember I just went to play a pass. I planted my foot and then it ruptured, it was quite gruesome. My kneecap was halfway up my leg.

‘A lot of it is a blur because it was a bit painful.

‘From that point it was a massive part of my life, probably the hardest point in my career, just that moment because of how it happened.

‘The last time I saw Gareth I was on the bed waiting for the ambulance. It was tough and it is a big part of my journey that I wouldn’t shy away from.

‘I’ve moved past it and a big part of my application and my motivation comes from working in that period to get back. I don’t want to lose that because it has shaped me into who I am.’

He said the last time he saw Southgate (right) was when he was waiting for an ambulance

Gomez has been in tremendous form for a Liverpool side who could still end the season with three trophies.

But it is not the only international setback from which he has had to recover. In 2019, the defender was booed by England supporters during a game against Montenegro, days after his infamous bust-up with Raheem Sterling in the St George’s Park canteen.

Sterling was England’s golden boy at the time but has again been left out of the England squad after some indifferent form for Chelsea.

Gomez added: ‘It was testing. You never want that to happen in front of your own crowd. It was a scenario that I’ve moved long past.

He said ‘there was a bit of an underlying trauma’ upon his return to the England camp this week

Gomez also opened up on being booed by his own supporters against Montenegro following a clash with Raheem Sterling (left)

‘I understood. I didn’t delve too deeply into it or let it consume me too much. I understood. It wasn’t great, obviously, I’d be lying if I said otherwise. But it is what it is. Part of football.

‘I am looking forward to getting back in front of the fans and playing. Wembley is such a special stadium, playing cup finals and so on, every time is special.’