The Liverpool academy has produced some incredible players over the years – and Curtis Jones is the latest talent on their treadmill to get excited fans
Jones had an impressive breakthrough season in 2019-20, making 12 first-team appearances in all competitions under Jurgen Klopp
The 19-year-old looks set for a bright future at Anfield and we’ve rounded up some of the best quotes about him
« He’s an attacking midfielder who, as soon as Steven Gerrard went to the academy to manage, he told me about this player, saying he had a chance for the first team, » said Carragher told Sky Sports in September 2018
« He has what I would call the arrogance of football when you see him play, he has something on him, he stands out
« You look at him at the level he’s played, is he going to bring that to the first team? Who knows, but certainly in the pre-season he really impressed, I think Jurgen Klopp and the Liverpool fans know he has that football arrogance
« It’s whether some can get into senior football, but certainly starting preseason Curtis is going like a duck in the water »
« I remember going out of the field and saying to Steven, ‘who’s the no10? « Because it slides right in front of the players, which makes it so simple, so easy, » Warnock told Sky Sports News in January 2020
« Steven turned around and said Jones has everything to be a top player If his attitude is right he will make it to the top
« It comes from someone like Steven Jones maturing and under the right manager who gives him confidence to come out and express himself, to play the way he wants »
« This team is built around him. He’s a top talent and he’s a top player, » Gerrard said while working as Liverpool’s Under-18 coach in September 2017
« It’s important that he catches the ball as much as he can because he makes us play. He has this quality to create something out of nothing
« But it’s important not to get carried away Curtis is doing great, he’s improving all the time He’s a great kid, he wants to work, he wants to learn, he’s one of the best talents
« It’s just important that we keep giving him the right values and keep working on the other side of his game We know he’s fantastic on the ball, we’re trying to improve the whole package «
“I saw a huge difference between Curtis last year,” Milner said in September 2019 “He’s always had this ability but seems a little more mature now; [he] defends himself well, taking his good angles when defending
« I think he also realized that if you want to play for Liverpool it’s as important as the content of the ball. Not only that, he has so many abilities, skills and tips, and it’s about using them in the right area
« I think he’s learning this more and more now – you don’t want him to do it halfway, you want him to do it in the last third This is where you do your turns and get people into the box
« I told him before the game: ‘I wouldn’t want to defend you in the box, so bring them in and go for it’ He has a great capacity ‘
“Curt is doing very well, I see him training every day,” Adrian told Liverpool’s official website in March 2020 “He’s a quality player and he has many abilities
« He’s really young, but he’s learning a lot, training every day with first-team players and experienced players to give him that experience
« So every time he plays he wants to show everyone he’s a top player Obviously he has this gap to keep learning and improving but he’s in a good way He’s a magnificent player who can soon help Liverpool and now he also helps us as he plays «
« Curtis has always been one of the best for us this season and I guess the test for him now and the test for us is to continue to drive the standard for him and not be content with what he has, « the former Liverpool Under -23s manager told his official website in February 2020
« I know he won’t and he will look for more He’s tasted and he wants more Curtis knows he has to keep performing if he wants more chances at the senior level, but I’m sure that will come at some point «
« Curtis launched this year, but that’s what young players are doing, » Carragher told the Liverpool Echo in February 2020
« They just take a jump and you never really know when it’s going to happen, but they have to do that jump if they want to reach the first team’s abilities and it looks like he’s done that jump now
« When he plays for the younger team, it almost looks like he’s a first team player who gives up to play with the younger ones
« The only criticism of this Liverpool side is sometimes a lack of creativity on the part of the central midfielder, and I think he could provide that »
“[Curtis] wants to be better every day,” Henderson said in July 2020 “And not just with a ball on his feet In all aspects of being a professional
« It’s so nice to see how he grew and developed and sometimes I have to remember how young he is, because he has the physical attributes of a much more experienced player
« The crucial thing now is that he continues to do exactly what he did to get here If he keeps this attitude of making sure that improvement and learning is his number one goal, he can really achieve anything he wants «
« There is still room for improvement but everyone knows my opinion on Curtis Jones, he is an exceptional talent and we will have fun with him I’m pretty sure in the future » Klopp said after Jones scored twice in a 7-2 win over Lincoln in September 2020
« Both goals were difficult, the second the first contact was absolutely exceptional between two opponents and then he opens and sees the opportunity and ends »
« For me, when I look at these young players and their development over the course of this season, he’s the one who I think has made the greatest progress, » the reporter told the Red Agenda podcast in June 2020
« I think he’s had an amazing year When you factor in the winner against Everton and the honor of becoming Liverpool’s youngest captain when he led them to victory in this cup, replay again Shrewsbury Town
« I think physically he is now much more able to make an impact at the highest level and you can see how much he has benefited from training day after day with top players »
« I have goals that I want to achieve, of course I could sit here and write that I want to win the Champions League, the World Cup, the Ballon d’Or… you name it But I want to just repay the trust the manager and his staff have in me, ”Jones told Liverpool Echo in August 2020
« Being a local guy involved in this [Premier League title elimination] is definitely a dream come true and I’m just happy to have made my family and the fans proud
« I can’t wait until it’s my turn to be in the team and I win games with the club I want to become a legend myself in this city »
Curtis Jones
World News – UK – « He’s got football arrogance » – 11 quotes about rising Liverpool star Curtis Jones – Planet Football
