Liverpool defender Joe Gomez strongly believes that one Premier League rival has the ‘best brain’ of any English defender past or present.
After spending the first year of his senior playing career at Championship club Charlton Athletic, Gomez joined Liverpool for a fee of around £3.5 million back in June of 2015.
Gomez made his official Liverpool debut four months later, assisting Philippe Coutinho’s match-winning goal in a 1-0 Premier League victory over Stoke City.
The 28-year-old has made just over 250 appearances for the Reds in the ten years that he has spent at the club, winning a number of major honours including the Premier League in 2019-20 and 2024-25, and has represented England 15 times.
In an interview with The PFA, Gomez was tasked with building the ‘ultimate’ England defender, and selected England teammate John Stones for his ‘football brain’.
“John Stones. Talk about versatility; he plays so many different roles in that City team. He can go in midfield and that takes some real brains. He’s such a good player. Unbelievable.”
Stones has proved to be a key player for Manchester City since he made the move to the club from Burnley in 2016.
Known for his outstanding technical ability, Stones has earned himself 87 caps for England, establishing himself as a pivotal player at the heart of their defence and has been a mainstay in European Championship and World Cup squads since 2016.
