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It’s easily forgotten now, but Curtis Jones was one of the main positives of Liverpool’s preseason campaign in the United States in 2018. So, at 17, he appeared in most of the Reds’ friendlies and came out a bit like a ray of the blue, even though his talents were duly highlighted in the Academy for some time before.
That Jones did not play a single minute of first-team soccer in 2018/19 is not a condemnation to him in any way, but it made some assume that his development was stunted, or that he lacked certain attributes to make the grade. . The concept of time in Liverpool under Jürgen Klopp can be shaped by a myriad of factors. There are the obvious trophies, but then the alternate narratives tell the story of development and growth that has left a generation of fans in awe.
As Liverpool became a Premier League and Champions League winning tour de force, Jones was bracing himself for his own breakthrough in 2020. How patient he was is not said enough. He never lost his heart or self-discipline, instead becoming one of the best players in the country at the U23 level and making sure that when his opportunity came, he took it.
That opportunity arose as early as Everton in the FA Cup in January, when he established himself in derby folklore and showed his voracious eye for goal. One of the most shocking aspects of his development has been that he has already seen the merits of not shooting on sight, something that can be argued didn’t come until later or didn’t come at all with players like Steven Gerrard and Phillipe Coutinho. .
Jones would finally finish the 2019/20 season with a total of 621 first-team minutes under his belt, most of which in the Carabao and FA Cup. This season he already has 1,018 minutes and 11 starts in all competitions, mainly the Premier League and the Champions League. Perhaps the most crucial statistic this season is that he still has a minute to play of U23 football. He is still only 19 years old, but is now a certified Liverpool first team player.
And for that reason, despite the obvious delusion of title victory, Liverpool in 2020 may be best exemplified in many ways by Jones’ development. It’s flourishing in parallel with this ever-improving team from Klopp. With his youth comes the feeling of hope, courage and energy, all things that fit into the Modus Operandi of this team.
Next year is still very uncertain, however, if anything can be projected it will be the continued development of the young man in Liverpool. He has become a player who is very quickly developing an aura around him, and is quietly telling Klopp’s Liverpool story better than most.
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