The defensive duo have become close friends since Van Dijk joined Liverpool from Southampton in January 2018, and established a formidable centre-back partnership for much of the current campaign.
Gomez, the younger of the two by six years, sees his teammate – last season’s PFA Players’ Player of the Year – as a role model to follow.
But the mutual respect they share personally and professionally is fundamental to their performances in tandem, believes Gomez.
“The stature of Virgil when he came to the club was obviously already massive,” he told Sky Sports during an interview via video link.