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The Liverpool Academy has had a lot to smile about in the opening weeks of the season, but no player has progressed more at the senior level than Curtis Jones.
Caoimhin Kelleher was added to a roster last night that already included Neco and Rhys de Williams, while Jake Cain, Leighton Clarkson and Vitezslav Jaros were on the bench, and the injured Trent Alexander-Arnold has long surpassed that status.
Of those who have left the Academy, now on the same site as Liverpool’s first team training ground in Kirkby, Jones has gone farther than anyone in the past 12 months.
Any of the other names could take a similar leap in the coming year, but Jones is now rightly and firmly considered a first-team player.
Already this season, Jones has scored three times and assisted once, but beyond that he has become a more complete midfielder, capable of performing almost as well in a defensive sense now as in the future.
The level of confidence that Jurgen Klopp has in him was evident against Brighton, in fact when he was hired as a right back in place of the injured James Milner with 20 minutes to go.
His strength still lies in his ability to move forward, but being a Klopp midfielder requires more than one skill.
“It’s quite unique and every time I see it, I think there is something really special about it,” said Owen Hargreaves, on BT Sport’s Champions League highlights program.
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“He almost scored early in the game and I think he will score goals. Play with some arrogance and confidence that I think you need, it’s healthy.”
“The only thing he does really well is getting to the area in the big moments.
“[The shot that hit the post in the first half] It reminds me of Steven Gerrard – he used to hit everything so hard. It almost hits him perfectly, but I love that about him – he’s always there in the right places.
“[The goal] It sums it up, and I love the Neco Williams ball, by the way. His right foot is off, so he positions it with his left.
“The end of Jones and the way he guides him … honestly, that’s class. That is a class player and having a 19-year-old finish that sums it up, because he has something quite unique.”
A similar sentiment was echoed in the post-match podcast after Liverpool topped Group D with their win over Ajax.
“The massive credit must go to Curtis Jones,” said Mark Baker.
“I think he is a real player and what a difficult finish: the power to take that first time with the outside of his right boot cannot be underestimated.”
“He detects opportunities and is always a goal threat. The question was always whether he could adapt and fit into Klopp’s three-man midfield system, but he has and is acting like a seasoned professional.”
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Jones now has six goals in 25 Liverpool senior appearances. Gerrard only scored once for Liverpool as a teenager, so in that regard, Jones is in the lead.
Asking Jones to match Gerrard’s entire career would be unfair, but early signs are good that the Toxteth-born midfielder may have a great career at Anfield.
“Stevie was one of the best players I ever played with,” added Hargreaves. “But it just shows you how advanced he is at 19.
“Producing for a team as good as this shows how talented Curtis Jones is.”
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