Joe Gomez’s defensive versatility may be of benefit to Liverpool but the man himself claims his future lies at centre-back.

When coming through the Charlton Athletic academy and breaking into the Addicks first-team, Gomez was seen primarily as a right-back, with the ability to cover at centre-half if needed.

He joined Liverpool 18 months ago and, after recently completing a gruelling rehabilitation from anterior cruciate ligament and Achilles injuries, he has been employed at the heart of the Reds’ defence.

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The 19-year-old – who signed a new contract at Anfield on Friday, with the terms set to come into effect from July 1 – is still happy to fill in at full-back but is adamant that a central role will become his bread and butter under manager Jurgen Klopp.

“Ideally, that’s where I want to grow and develop, as a centre-back,” said Gomez.

“It has been nice to get the opportunity to play there under the manager – he has been giving me advice and helping me develop into the best centre-back I can be.

“It’s nice to get a chance to play there, as well as looking to be versatile because it can only help the team if you can play other positions.

“But, ideally, going forward and as I get older I’d like to try to make that my position.

“My main focus is just to keep my head down and keep learning. I know I have a lot left to learn and a long way to go.

“I’m thankful to be in the position to do it here and I just want to keep doing that now.”

Crystal Palace manager Sam Allardyce is anticipating a week from hell but admits it was almost even worse before the club turned down a request to have their FA Cup match moved for TV.

Palace take on Manchester City in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday, then face a trip to Bournemouth on Tuesday and a home match with Sunderland next Saturday – the latter two games being potentially crucial to their Premier League survival hopes.

Throw in Tuesday being transfer deadline day – and Allardyce’s penchant for a last-minute bargain – and the next seven days look to be pivotal in deciding the fate of the Eagles’ season.

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Their week was nearly more condensed, with the BBC wanting to move the FA Cup clash with City to Sunday, only for Palace to refuse.

“Our game on Saturday nearly moved to Sunday but we didn’t want that so we refused the TV broadcasters request to change the date,” explained Allardyce.

“This gives us the best chance to prepare the team for Bournemouth on Tuesday and after that next weekend against Sunderland.

“We have been given a difficult situation this coming week, someone tried to make it even more difficult but fairness to the chairman, he said no so we now have to manage the three games in a week including the last few days of the transfer window.

“You will have to ask the Premier League why they decided to play a game on the Tuesday when the window closes that day. It is an awkward situation that did not have to happen.

“I would love to hear the answer because I get a blank when I ask. I have asked why they have done it many times but it is not the first time it has happened.”

Jose Fonte has only been with West Ham for a week but that’s been enough time for goalkeeper Darren Randolph to be convinced that his leadership ability will make him an instant success.

Fonte moved to the London Stadium from Southampton for a reported fee of £8million, plus potential add-ons, last Friday.

The 33-year-old defender trained alongside his team-mates for the first time on Wednesday as the squad prepares for their clash with Manchester City next Wednesday.

The Portugal international, who won Euro 2016 with his country, is expected to slot straight into the heart of the Hammers defence for the City contest, after Angelo Ogbonna was ruled out for the rest of the seasons with a knee injury.

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And Irish goalkeeper Randolph is in no doubt that Fonte is the sort of player who will instantly improve the team.

“Jose is a great addition to the squad,” said Randolph. “He has a lot of experience and it can only be a good thing having him in the squad, especially as we are playing so well at the moment.

“It is only going to add to the quality that we have and to the squad as well. I have already seen in training that he is a leader.

“He is loud and vocal and organises well. It should be a good addition.”

After sealing a long overdue move away from West Bromwich Albion, Saido Berahino admits Mark Hughes’ impressive personality was the key factor in his decision to join Stoke City.

Berahino has struggled for any sort of form since interest from Tottenham unsettled the former England Under-21 player at the Hawthorns in August 2015.

More than a year later and he has finally left Tony Pulis’ outfit, with the Potteries his destination of choice.

And the 23-year-old said Hughes could provide much needed guidance to his faltering career.

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“I had spoken to the manager on several occasions to be honest and I was always hugely impressed by him, and what he had to say,” he said.

“For me, he isn’t only a top manager he is also a really good guy too, who genuinely feels he can help me to develop into the player I know I can be.

“The last few years have been incredibly difficult for me, and at this stage of my career I really felt that I needed some guidance.

“I believe the gaffer is the perfect person to give me that, and of course he was one of the big reasons why I wanted this move to happen so much.

“Everybody in this room knows what a top class striker he was, and I want to learn from him – I have already benefitted from him in training and am so excited to continue learning from him.”

Antonio Conte has remained tight-lipped on the possibility of any major transfer action for Chelsea in the last few days of the January transfer window.

With his side winning 18 of their 22 games in the Premier League, Chelsea are eight points clear at the summit and Conte hasn’t felt the need to make any deals in January so far.

Goalkeeper Asmir Begovic is thought to be desired by Bournemouth but the Chelsea boss ruled out a move for the Bosnian unless a suitable replacement was found.

And Conte was happy that if no further details got done he could work with some of the young players currently at Stamford Bridge.

“I don’t know what will happen by the end of this window,” he said.

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“I have read a lot of good names in the newspaper. Sometimes you know more than me about this.

“The club knows my thoughts about the transfer window.

“If we stay with these players, I am very happy. We have to improve our squad in the numbers of the players, in some roles we only have a few.

“If it happens, I’m happy. If not, I’m happy the same. We continue this way and try to develop our young players like (Charly) Musonda, Kenedy and (Nathan) Ake.”

Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs will proceed with caution ahead of their FA Cup fourth round tie at home to Wycombe Wanderers.

Tottenham Hotspur will be installed as clear favourites to progress to the fifth round, having avoided defeat on home turf all season so far.

But Pochettino is under no illusion that the Wanderers will arrive with all guns blazing despite being the clear underdogs in the clash.

He said: “Always it’s difficult. I think the beauty of the FA Cup is that clubs in League Two like Wycombe believe that they can beat us because that is how the FA Cup is and the belief that it gives the team is massive.

“If we are ready to compete, be sure that we can go to the next round but always it’s important to take this type of game seriously and be ready to compete.

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“For them it’s their World Cup final – maybe the most important game in their history – and for that we need to stay at a very good level – more than physical, a mental level to compete and be ready.”

The Spurs boss went on to show his support for former Spurs player Ryan Mason, who is currently recovering from a fractured skull suffered at Chelsea on Sunday.

“It was a difficult moment; we were very worried about the action like all the people that know him. The action was hard and was difficult but the good thing now is that he is recovering well,” he added.

Willy Caballero has warned Crystal Palace that they will be taking on a Manchester City side hurting from recent results when the two clash in the FA Cup on Saturday.

The Citizens travel to London this weekend looking to book their place in the fifth round of England’s oldest cup competition.

Victory would provide a welcome boost after somewhat of a stumble in the league of late, losing 4-0 to Everton and then drawing 2-2 with rivals Tottenham last time out to leave them 12 points behind leaders Chelsea.

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They are still in the Champions League with a last 16 clash with Monaco to come next month but defeat to Manchester United back in October ended their hopes of defending their EFL Cup title.

Caballero was a key part of that trophy success a little under a year ago, saving three penalties to help down Liverpool in the shootout.

And the Argentine shot stopper wants a repeat trip to Wembley this season in the FA Cup.

“I think Crystal Palace is always a tough place to go,” he said.

“It won’t be easy to go there and win but they’ve had a complicated season so far and need to a lift so beating us in the FA Cup is something they’ll be looking to do to kick-start their season.

“Every team left in the competition wants to win the FA Cup but for us, we have the added incentive of the frustration of not beating Tottenham and the loss at Everton and because we are out of the EFL Cup we are now focused on the FA Cup.”

Middlesbrough goalkeeper Brad Guzan has vowed to help the team as much as possible before his impending return to the United States.

American Guzan, 32, joined Boro from Aston Villa in the summer after eight years with the Midlands side.

He has made three Premier League appearances for the Teessiders since his switch, five in total, and has agreed a deal to join new Major League Soccer outfit Atlanta United after the current season.

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Middlesbrough are 16^th in the Premier League with 20 points from 22 games, four points above the drop zone.

Aitor Karanka’s men host Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday, before taking on Tony Pulis’ resurgent West Bromwich Albion three days later.

And Guzan has said he will do his best to assist Boro in their fight for Premier League survival.

“This opportunity has arisen recently and having given it a lot of thought with my family, we feel that it is the right time for us to return to the US after nine years in England,” said Guzan.

“Although we have not been on Teesside that long, we have enjoyed our time here at a fantastic club, and I look forward to helping the team as much as possible before my departure.”

With Sunderland woefully out of form and having slipped to the bottom of the Premier League, it is a bleak time to be on Wearside, but Sebastian Larsson is adamant the squad won’t stop fighting to turn things round.

The division’s basement boys have lost four of their last five games, and are three points from safety, having lost 2-0 to West Bromwich Albion last time out.

And the matches do not get any easier for David Moyes’ side, as they host high-flying Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday.

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Midfielder Larsson has admitted the team are not on a good run of form, but has vowed the players will keep working to improve results.

“We are obviously in a very bad patch at the moment,” said Larsson. “We aren’t picking up points and it needs to turn around very quickly.

“Unfortunately, we seem to be giving games away. For some reason we find ourselves trailing a couple of goals very quickly at the moment in most games and that’s something we need to rectify.

“It’s the only thing you can do because we need to keep fighting, working and doing everything we can to possibly turn things around.

“It’s an extremely disappointing dressing room as it should be at the moment but the only thing we can do is keep working.”

Former Everton and Arsenal striker Francis Jeffers has revealed that he regrets his decision to leave Merseyside during his playing days.

The boyhood Blue and academy graduate made his Toffees debut at Manchester United aged 16 in December 1997 and went on to score 20 goals in 45 starts for the club.

But in June 2001 he was tempted away from Goodison Park and made an £8million move to join Arsene Wenger at Arsenal but admits it was probably the wrong move.

Jeffers said: “I’ve got to be really honest, looking back on my career I left the club too soon.

“Arsenal wasn’t the right move for me but it was a difficult time because of the way our football club was then, it wasn’t like it is now.

“It was a good move for me and the club at the time but it was definitely too soon and probably the wrong move.”

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Since retiring in 2013 Jeffers has taken up the role of academy strikers coach at Everton but still rues not living up to his ‘fox in the box’ legacy during his playing career.

“When you’re sitting at home at think back at how your career’s gone, I feel my head was turned,” he added.

“It was a tough decision for me because I’m an Evertonian, I’d been a season ticket holder all my life. It was a big decision but one that never worked out for me.”