[ad_1]
Whatever happens from now on, it has been a season that Curtis Jones will never forget.
The 2019/20 campaign was the one that catapulted him into the collective conscience of football fans beyond the limits of the Kirkby Academy.
After taking over the 23-year-old captaincy at the beginning of the season, the teenager went on to make eight appearances in total for his childhood club.
They include that he became the youngest captain in Anfield history, just five days after turning 19, and the match when he really was announced with a spectacular winner to beat Everton in a FA Cup draw in January.
However, Jones’ sharp progression perhaps dates back to August last year when he signed a new long-term contract at Anfield.
“For me, it is huge,” he said. “Being a local boy, my dream is to play for this amazing club.
“Seeing that the manager and staff have believed in me and offered me a new contract, I am absolutely thrilled.”
Resolution of the situation was found to have led to a more relaxed Jones. Released by the contract, he was free to wreak havoc on opposition defenses, secure in the knowledge that his future belonged to the Reds.
“I think anyone, when they have no distractions and can focus on their football, I think that has definitely helped them,” Neil Critchley told ECHO in August.
read more
Related Posts
“He seems much calmer around the situation and that has definitely helped him. Now he has a clear focus on where he wants to go and where he wants to be, and it is our job to help him get there.”
A start in the Carabao Cup victory at MK Dons a month later doubled his Liverpool tally having debuted in a 2-1 FA Cup loss at Wolves earlier that year.
James Milner was one of the observers who commented on the increasing maturity of Jones’ game after the pair had worked in tandem on the left side against the Dons.
“I’ve seen a big difference at Curtis in the last year,” said the Liverpool vice-captain after the 2-0 victory at Milton Keynes.
“He always had that ability, but now he seems a little more mature; [he’s] defending well, getting his correct angles when defending.
“I think he has also realized that if you want to play for Liverpool, that is as important as things on the ball.” Not only that, it has a lot of skill, abilities and tricks, and it’s about using them in the right area. “
Jones’ next trick was off the bench as he helped turn the Carabao Cup tie against Arsenal in Liverpool’s favor in one of the wildest games Anfield has possibly witnessed.
Thrown into the fray just 10 minutes into the second half by an ineffective Naby Keita, Jones helped drag Jurgen Klopp’s men back into the tie with an assist before the two teams played a 5-5 draw after 120 minutes.
With a confidence that makes light of his tender years, Jones scored the turning point, at the end of Kop, to ensure the Reds went through to the quarterfinals.
And the Toxteth-born midfielder had an optimistic message for anyone listening full-time when he stated, “This is just the beginning.”
“Being a local boy, it has always been my dream to appear in Anfield,” he said.
“Getting an assist to give us a chance and then scoring a penalty is just a dream come true. I was calm, I chose my spot and I was lucky enough to get the winning penalty.”
“This is just the beginning, I’m just a young boy and I still have a long way to go. Any opportunity I take with both hands. That’s what you play soccer for.”
After being left out of the UEFA Youth League defeat at the Academy on November 5, it became clear that Jones was online for his first contact with the Champions League later that day.
As such, he was named on the bench when Klopp’s team fought for a nervy 2-1 victory over Genk later that night.
(Image: Sebastian Frej / MB Media / Getty Images)
If the Reds had been at a dominant advantage that many had anticipated, Jones might have been called up, but it wouldn’t be long before his big moment came to Bournemouth.
Replacing Andy Robertson for the last 15 minutes, Jones made his Premier League debut when fugitive leaders sidelined Bournemouth on December 7.
Klopp said: “It was his third time on the team, so I thought it made sense to attract him. But it wasn’t a gift, I have to say. It’s his development. We want to show respect for that and we value that.”
However, Jones would be forced to sit in another half-dozen games on the bench before his next test action.
With Liverpool’s resources spread throughout the typically hectic holiday period, he was part of the team of the day for victories over Salzburg, Wolves and Sheffield United.
It also had one of the best seats in the house, as Liverpool mutinied on its season performance at Leicester on Boxing Day shortly after being part of the extended substitute bench at the Club World Cup in Qatar.
Then came his big moment.
Seventy-one minutes into a tense Merseyside derby, Jones resolved the proceedings through the hosts with a fateful sweep of his right boot. England’s No. 1 Jordan Pickford didn’t come close when the Kop went crazy.
A goal good enough to win any game, it was a moment in heaven for Jones. Those who had studied his development knew his talent closely, but as a result, the wonderful goal shot him to greater prominence.
“A sensational game and a sensational Scouser goal: who could ask for more?” was Klopp’s succinct summary.
Perhaps most important to Jones, however, was what came after his manager’s mouth.
After becoming Liverpool’s youngest scorer in a Merseyside derby since Robbie Fowler over 25 years ago, Klopp’s next statement will have been music to his ears.
“I have known him for three and a half years, he has taken great strides and will be a Liverpool player if nothing strange happens.”
But if Jones thought his season couldn’t improve, he was happily wrong.
After scoring at Shrewsbury in a 2-2 draw, Klopp’s later decision that he and his players move away from the FA Cup replay allowed Jones to take center stage.
Given substitute manager Captain Critchley’s armband, Jones took the opportunity to shine against an almost exhausted Anfield.
A first half rabble made fans purr and further showed the insolence that runs through the attacking midfielder when the mood takes him.
Ro-Shaun Williams’ own goal was enough to settle the tie for one of Liverpool’s youngest teams of all time, with Jones the star of the show.
It was also enough to win his fifth start to the season at Stamford Bridge when Klopp shuffled his pack once again for the next round against Chelsea.
This time, the teenager could not change the tie in favor of the Reds, but his comments after the game against ECHO were proof of a player growing in maturity and responsibility.
On a night when many of his senior colleagues chose not to express their thoughts, Jones spoke honestly and said, “It is not good when they knock you out, but yes, for me, the FA Cup has been excellent this season. ” and one that I will not forget
“I have scored a couple of great goals and I will not forget them. I look forward to the other games to come. I am a confident boy and every time I play, I try to be the best I can be.” “
Jones can hope to have an even more significant role next season.
With Adam Lallana ready to leave at the end of his contract and the coronavirus uncertainty likely to impact so many in the transfer market, the youngster will have more opportunities next quarter.
The message from his former manager Barry Lewtas is simple. Listen and learn.
“I think the important thing for your development is making sure you are doing what the manager asks you to do,” chief 18-year-old Lewtas told ECHO.
“Now it is under the eyes of the first team staff and they will have a real address of where they want to send their career. It is important that you get the messages from there.”
“I have enjoyed my time working with him. He came down and was captain of the Youth League games.”
“He is a fantastic personality to have across the group. His performances during the 19’s showed how much he has progressed with the first team and now it’s up to them to give him the right advice.”
“You can see how much he has grown as a person and matured as a man. He took the opportunity and is listening to them. That is the best advice I can give you today.”
Klopp says he will be a Liverpool player. This season has shown that Curtis Jones already is.
[ad_2]
