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Jurgen Klopp insists that ‘the door is open’ to the first team for Liverpool’s teenage star Curtis Jones following his sensational performance in the Carabao Cup win over Lincoln.
- Jurgen Klopp says Curtis Jones may have a role in his first team’s plans
- That’s despite Liverpool signing both Thiago and Diogo Jota this summer.
- Jones starred in Liverpool’s 7-2 Carabao Cup victory over Lincoln
Jurgen Klopp insists the door is open for teen favorite Curtis Jones despite recent Liverpool transfer activity.
The 19-year-old, who became the club’s youngest first-team captain during a match last season, starred in a two-goal performance in the Carabao Cup midweek victory at Lincoln.
That display provided a timely reminder of why Jones is well on his way to cult status among Liverpool fans and was inclined to follow Trent Alexander-Arnold to become the next local product to become a regular first-team player.
Jurgen Klopp insists the door is open for Liverpool teen favorite Curtis Jones
Klopp watched as Jones excelled in the Carabao Cup midweek victory over Lincoln City
And, despite the high-profile arrivals of Thiago and Diogo Jota in the past 10 days, Klopp insists that Jones remains central to his team’s plans, even if there is still a need for improvement.
Klopp said: ‘Now the door is open. I don’t want his performance to be less than it was because he was absolutely exceptional – the way he scores, the way he contributes to the game, all of that is truly exceptional.
But Curtis knows there is a lot of room for improvement. Being involved in a game of over 90 minutes, and I mean being really involved, so there is room for improvement.
But he’s a hardworking kid and he loves all the reactions, all the analyzes that we do.
“The plan is to use it as often as possible because of the way it acts, and that’s it.”
Klopp is likely to allow 20-year-old forward Rhian Brewster to leave the club, at least on loan, before the window closes this week, a step that would further promote Jones in the Anfield pecking order.
And Jones’ performance against Lincoln showed that the attacking midfielder is ready to rub shoulders with his fellow Anfield stars after adjusting to a scenario where he is no longer independent talent, as had been the case in age group football. .
Klopp said: ‘Self-confidence for a soccer player is really important because you generally play in front of 30, 40, 50, 60, 70,000 people and without confidence that’s not possible, I can tell you.
Jones scored twice in a flashy display and could be on the bench against Arsenal
‘Doing the right thing at the right time also helps. That’s what he had to learn in the last two years because maybe he was the best player in every age group he was in and he had to learn to play alongside other players.
“He made great strides in that department and had brilliant role models on the team.”
Jones is expected to be on the bench against Arsenal on Monday for a game between two teams that have started the new season with two wins each.
And while many experts expect Manchester City to provide Liverpool with their biggest challenge to a successful title defense, Klopp insists that Arsenal are among a group of teams that can hope to be in contention.
He said: ‘The Premier League and these teams with what they do is too much and too good for the season not to be decided before it starts, so it doesn’t just work like that.
“Nobody is safe from this kind of thing, so we have to work very hard to fix it, but the other teams have no influence.”
“When we go up against them we want to beat them, that’s all we can do, but, yes, it is often an open race. Chelsea will be there 100%, United will be there, Arsenal and Tottenham will always be there.
And there will also be tough times for us from other teams and it’s about how you react. Can you react in the right way?
“The season is not a sprint, it is a marathon, obviously, and you have to go through a lot of difficult moments.
“I have no idea who will win the league, but I know that many teams will try and we are one of them.”
