More than ever, it feels like the end is near for Liverpool's longest-serving player Joe Gomez.
The end of almost a decade of waiting for a goal in a red shirt, as the defender reveals Arne Slot's tactical adjustment that will finally put an end to his goal-scoring streak at the club.
But the ending could have come on a more meaningful note if everything had gone more smoothly over the summer. He admits a move to Newcastle was 'very real', with Mail Sport revealing at the time how he almost left for St James' Park, while Anthony Gordon went the other way.
“It was absolutely real,” he told reporters in the mixed zone after Liverpool's 1-0 win in Girona on Tuesday evening. “My focus has always been on the club, but I know how blessed I am to be here and in the summer that will be ten years.
'I don't take that for granted. In my opinion it is the best club in the world, and it was quickly a matter of adapting and getting started. It was good to put it to bed. That's football. I'm a big believer in focusing on the present.
“It wouldn't be natural to be somewhere in 10 years and not have a single hiccup, which probably says something about my ambition.”
Gomez was open to a move, although it is clear he never directly tried to push one through. Likewise, Liverpool didn't lure him out the door, but wouldn't have stood in his way had he found a club willing to meet their asking price.
A number of clubs in England and abroad were enthusiastic, but no move ever materialized. He remained focused on the task at hand, with sources at the time insisting he was still one of the hardest workers on the training pitch.
But the off-field distractions meant Gomez did not even travel to Ipswich for the club's Premier League opener at Portman Road in August, with Jarell Quansah starting alongside captain Virgil van Dijk after a stellar breakthrough season and an impressive pre-season in support.
Now that Ibrahima Konate has been struggling with a knee injury for several weeks, it is not Quansah but Gomez who switches to partner Van Dijk at the back.
In his first competitive start of the season, the pair bullied Erling Haaland to allay fears of rust.
However, watching Konate form that formidable duo with Van Dijk was difficult for Gomez, who must have felt in a state of limbo in the opening weeks of the season.
“It's difficult because you don't know when the opportunity will arise and under what circumstances,” he added.
'You don't know what position and so on. But I can only control what I can focus on and that is being the best professional I can be. It's a great club to be a part of and see the positive aspects of it. It could be worse!
'As a player you always want to play, so you just have to try to be ready. In a lot of ways I'm used to it and I've had a lot of ups and downs, but you enjoy playing and getting the opportunity to be on the team.”
Gomez signed for Charlton as a fresh-faced teenager and Daniel Sturridge joked at the time that he was his 'little brother'.
Now he is the big brother at Liverpool as their longest-serving player, influential in leadership and loved by everyone in the building.
Former boss Jurgen Klopp put it perfectly in January when he said: 'Without Joey, nothing would have happened. A life saver.'
Klopp's right-hand man Pep Lijnders also said Gomez, still just 27, was the club's best progressive passer with a perfect attitude.
And if those statements weren't strong enough, here are the words of Van Dijk who stood by Gomez as he talked to reporters and added minutes later: “I obviously know him very well and it's certainly not easy when you're not playing against each other . and every week.
But the way he conducts himself both on and off the pitch is an example for many players, and not just young players. That is not easy, he has so much quality and he can play beyond the back line. We know each other inside and out. He is needed now.'
He is certainly needed now, with just five defenders fit for four positions this side of Christmas. With Gomez now capable of playing as a right-back, centre-half or left-back – and even in midfield last season – the terrace chant of 'ain't nobody like Joe Gomez' certainly rings true.
The defender has been working on the ball-playing aspect of his game in recent months and now views passing as a 'process', knowing that it is not as simple as seeing a pass and playing it. He has worked on creating three-on-two situations all over the field.
You can't talk about Gomez without discussing the elephant in the room, mind you. After 235 games in a Liverpool shirt, is it time for a first goal? He enjoys the chatter about this from teammates and others, as fans shout at him to 'shoot' every time he has the ball.
Maybe he'll take up the offer soon, even though he thinks he's closer than ever. Redesigned set pieces from coach Aaron Briggs mean Gomez now finds himself in the penalty area for corner kicks and some free kicks, while previously he was left behind as a night watchman.
'It's a big thing to go for corners. That's one thing that has bothered me all the time, as I was never awake… so my chances have increased!'
When he finally finds the net, the roar could well take the roof off Anfield. But as he said in another mixed zone chat, at Arsenal in January, he has no special party planned. 'We'll see how I celebrate. I'll leave the taking off of the shirt to Mo Salah!'
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