“Obviously there is a special thing for Mr Stones”
Jurgen Klopp has made a not-so-subtle dig at England manager Gareth Southgate for including John Stones in the most recent squad, but not Joe Gomez.
Stones has not featured for Manchester City so far this season, finding himself down the pecking order behind Ruben Dias and Aymeric Laporte.
Despite this, he retained his place in Southgate’s most recent Three Lions squad and started in the 1-1 draw against Hungary at Wembley on Tuesday night.
Last season, Stones made 35 appearances for Pep Guardiola’s side, scoring five goals along the way. He was also an integral part of the Three Lions squad that made it all the way to the final of Euro 2020, playing in all seven games and only being substituted once.
The England boss has always suggested that he would pick players based on their form, rather than the club they play at.
Liverpool centre-back Joe Gomez has not played for the Three Lions since August 2020, with the 24-year-old suffering from an ankle injury that kept him out for the majority of last season.
However, having worked his way back to full fitness, Gomez’s manager thinks he should’ve been included in the latest England squad – using Stones as an example to argue his point.
"Obviously there's a special rule for Mr Stones"
A not-so-subtle dig at Gareth Southgate from Jurgen Klopp as he explains the progress of Joe Gomez… pic.twitter.com/TWnyp7JeZD
— Liverpool FC News (@LivEchoLFC) October 15, 2021
“Sometimes Gareth reacts if you are not playing for your club you can’t play for the national team,” said the German.
“Obviously there is a special rule for Mr Stones.
“But Joe [Gomez] didn’t get a call-up.”
The former Charlton man has made five appearances for the Reds this campaign, starting on just two occasions.
Related links:
- Liverpool able to claim money from FIFA to cover Joe Gomez’s wages during injury layoff
- QUIZ: Can you name Gareth Southgate’s first XI as England manager?
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