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The Liverpool deputy manager has praised Curtis Jones ahead of the Carabao Cup fourth-round clash against Arsenal on Thursday following the teenager’s sensational rise to prominence in the past 12 months.
It was exactly this same encounter last season that Jones made a name for himself among the Kopites after scoring the winning penalty during the riveting Anfield 5-5 spectacle in September 2019.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 30: Curtis Jones of Liverpool celebrates scoring the winning penalty during the Carabao Cup Round of 16 match between Liverpool and Arsenal at Anfield on October 30, 2019 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths / Getty Images)
Since that date with fate under the Anfield lights just over a year ago, Jones has now become a regular in Jurgen Klopp’s senior setup and has recorded seven Premier League appearances.
The 19-year-old Jones has been touted for his greatness for some time after being the cornerstone of Steven Gerrard’s U18 team before progressing to the senior setup at Melwood in the later stages of the 2017/18 season, where the teenager made her debut in PL. during a goalless draw with Everton in April 2018.
Unlike recently crowned PFA Young Player of the Year Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jones was slower in terms of his promotion to the first team. The West Derby midfielder took the slower route to get Klopp’s attention, having burst onto the scene at 17, only to take an additional year or two to learn what it takes to get to the top.
Instead of a loan period, Jones had been impressing Klopp for a few times with his performances as last season’s U23 captain, which also saw the Liverpool midfielder crowned the Premier’s Player of the Season 2. League for 2020.
There was more focus on the likes of Rhian Brewster and Harvey Elliott in this very meeting last season, as both young attackers started against Arsenal last time out, while Jones stayed on the bench.
This is unlikely to be the case this time around with Jones, now possibly Klopp’s most effective player in national cup competitions.
He recently took home the man of the match award against Lincoln City during Liverpool’s 7-2 win against the League One team last week.
LINCOLN, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 24: Liverpool’s Curtis Jones celebrates after scoring his team’s first goal during the Carabao Cup third round match between Lincoln City and Liverpool at Sincil Bank Stadium on September 24, 2020 in Lincoln , England. Football stadiums across the UK remain empty due to the coronavirus pandemic, as government social distancing laws prohibit fans from entering venues, causing matches to be played behind closed doors. (Photo by Peter Powell –
Jones was absolutely irresistible to Klopp as the spearhead of Liverpool’s midfield. He scored two impressive goals from nearly identical positions and ran the show from start to finish.
According to WhoScored, Jones had more shots (5), dribbles (4) and won more fouls (4) than any other Liverpool player.
It’s no wonder, then, that his coach and Klopp’s most trusted lieutenant, Lijnders, has further praised a player who has been considered the natural successor to Adam Lallana.
The Liverpool assistant coach detailed Jones’ incredible rise to stardom and why his own specific qualities offer something to the team that no other Reds midfielder can implement.
“He’s the type of player we really like,” Lijnders said during his press conference on Wednesday. “His call to the U-21 shows his development over the last year.
“He is the type that we like for his courage, for his bravery, for his self-confidence, he is the right confidence and not the wrong one. Self-confidence comes with attitude, with training, with investing thinking only of points of improvement.
“He’s the type of midfielder, probably one of the most offensive midfielders we have. He’s risky, young blood and if you look closely at games, he’s one of the first to have this surprise move in the frame.
“He’s probably always the first to shoot and if he keeps scoring he can be a midfielder with real goals as well, and that’s something we really like.”
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