EXCLUSIVE: Liverpool defender Joe Gomez details Gareth Southgate conversations and his England 'hurt'

Liverpool defender Joe Gomez is in contact with England boss Gareth Southgate as he looks to banish the "hurt" of missing out on successive international tournaments by featuring in the World Cup later this year.

Gomez hasn't been named in an England squad since sustaining a patella tendon injury when training with the Three Lions in November 2020 that ruled him out for eight months.

It forced him to miss last summer's Euro 2020 finals, while an ankle injury suffered when with England a few months ahead of the World Cup in 2018 contributed to his absence from the finals in Russia.

The 25-year-old saw game time at Liverpool limited last year following his return to fitness, with Southgate having said he would only consider a recall once the player had "plenty of minutes on the pitch".

And having penned a new five-year deal at Anfield earlier this month, Gomez is now focused on again becoming a regular with Liverpool and giving the England boss a decision to make when he confirms his 26-man squad for Qatar on October 20.

“We have had conversations," said the centre-back to the ECHO. "Gareth is a great manager and also (England assistant boss) Steve Holland has been great in communicating with me and checking in at key moments. Fundamentally club football gives you the platform to be picked and that’s got to be my focus.

"It is a World Cup year, and I do feel like I have missed out on major tournaments, more so due to injuries than anything else. I watched part of the Euros, but it was hard. It hurt to not be there.

"I obviously supported the team as I did at the World Cup, but it hurt not being a part of either of those squads. I feel I could have been there.

"But my sole focus now is Liverpool and that can give me the