Last summer’s England call-up offered Gomes a level of vindication for the tough decisions that came before.
He came on in the 2-0 win over Ireland last September before making his full debut against Finland at Wembley three days later. Under-21 boss Lee Carsley, taking charge of England on an interim basis, showed faith in Gomes’ playmaking abilities.
Gomes plays in a position England have found difficult to fill. The dearth of deep-lying ball-playing midfielders led Gareth Southgate to start Euro 2024 with Trent Alexander-Arnold – a right-back by trade – in the role.
“The funny thing is I think we are [producing players of that type], there’s a lot,” says Gomes.
The midfielder’s control when playing for England drew attention. Against Finland he accumulated 131 touches of the ball – the most of any player on the pitch – with a 94% pass accuracy.
In his next start for England, in the return Nations League fixture in Helsinki, Gomes had 108 touches during his 79 minutes on the field, successfully completed 97% of his passes and assisted the opener for Jack Grealish in a 3-1 win.
Yet Gomes has been forced to contend with jibes that his call-up was a result of favouritism from Carsley, who he’d worked with at under-21 level.
“It was difficult to hear people saying it was a favour because I knew personally it wasn’t,” says Gomes.
“Before the last Euros there was a press conference that Gareth [Southgate] gave and I was mentioned.
“I remember getting a pre-call selection for one squad. I thought it could have been a joke so I forwarded the message to Lee Carsley and he said it was genuine.
“So I knew it wasn’t a favour, there was a lot of work for me to get to that point.”
Thomas Tuchel’s appointment has stunted Gomes’ progress at international level.
He is yet to feature in either of the German’s squads but, going into next summer’s World Cup, the former Chelsea boss has told Gomes he remains on England’s radar.
“We’ve spoken, we had a couple of video calls and a few messages,” adds Gomes.
“He is very good in the sense that he is always watching and supporting. It’s a very good relationship in that you can speak and message at any moment.
“I’ve not managed to get into the squad [under Tuchel] yet but it’s something I will try hard to do.
“The World Cup is the aim. The pinnacle. That’s an aim of mine and I know what needs to be done to get me there.”
Five years after leaving Old Trafford, Gomes is set for a second consecutive season in the Champions League – with his dream of playing in a World Cup for England still alive.
