Midfielder Curtis Jones has now established himself in Jurgen Klopp's starting lineup; Watch Liverpool vs Fulham in the Carabao Cup live on Sky Sports Football and Main Event on Wednesday night; kick-off 8pm
Wednesday 10 January 2024 20:14, UK
It has taken four years for Curtis Jones to finally establish himself in the Liverpool starting lineup, but now the midfielder is one of the first names down on the team sheet and determined to stay there.
Jones burst on to the scene with a memorable winner as a youthful Liverpool side made up almost entirely of reserve-team players beat Everton in the FA Cup third round in January 2020.
Aged just 18 years and 340 days at the time, the Toxteth-born academy graduate became the youngest scorer in a Merseyside derby since Robbie Fowler in 1994 in the process, but the breakout moment did not lead on to a regular place in Jurgen Klopp's side, more a frustrating stop-start period in his Anfield career.
Jones played six Premier League games as Liverpool won a first title in 30 years that Covid-interrupted season, qualifying for a winners' medal, and 24 the following campaign, but it was not until the 2021-22 season that Klopp really began to fully trust him in midfield.
The curly-haired Scouser was handed a run in the team from September, scoring an eye-catching goal at Brentford and even getting the nod to start in the 2-2 draw with title rivals Man City at Anfield the next month, only for a freak eye injury in training at the start of November to sideline him for two months.
A year later and Jones suffered stress reaction of the bone: "I was out for four weeks, I came back and trained twice, felt it again and was out for another six. It was a difficult time," he recalled.
Those unfortunate setbacks, though, largely characterised the start of Jones' Liverpool career as every time the youngster appeared to have forced his way into Klopp's thinking, an untimely injury would bring it all to a sudden halt.
However, looking back now, those layoffs may have been just what the 22-year-old needed at the time, allowing him to think more about both his own game and himself.
In essence, he grew up as a player and a man.
"I had a time where I was out for, I think it was 15 weeks or something, and it was [all about] the hunger I had in me to come back and play," he said in October. "I just worked hard. My frame of mind changed, and I matured as well."
And when handed the chance to re-boot his Reds career last April as Klopp looked for any midfield combination that could get his team back on track in their top-four bid after back-to-back losses at Bournemouth and Man City, he turned to Jones again.
Brought in for the trip to Chelsea, Jones went on to make 11 league starts, scoring three times and so ending an 18-month goal drought, while also setting up another as Liverpool so nearly salvaged their underwhelming campaign by securing Champions League qualification.
Jones carried on that impressive form last summer, being credited with the winner against Spain as England Under-21s won the European championship for the first time since 1984, with his mature displays even earning him a place in the team of the tournament.
The midfielder credits that sustained run of games for club and country with how he has started the first half of this campaign.
"I came in against Chelsea and I kept my shirt and I was fortunate enough to help with goals and assists, but the most important thing that I had at the end of the season was that I was playing game after game after game," he said. "[The U21 Euros] helped 100 per cent.
"I think I had 12 games consecutively [for Liverpool before the Euros]. I came in, I had a buzz about me, confidence. I went in there and I was myself and I was fortunate enough to make the team of the tournament and I scored the goal [in the final] apparently!"
However, while Jones was starring for Lee Carsley's young Lions in Georgia, Liverpool were undergoing a major transformation as the likes of skipper Jordan Henderson, vice-captain James Milner, Fabinho, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita - all stalwarts of Klopp's Reds midfield - left the club.
Replacing them were the likes of Dominik Szoboszlai and Wataru Endo, national team captains of Hungary and Japan respectively, as well as World Cup-winner Alexis Mac Allister, all in Jones's position.
Despite an ankle injury picked up early in the season and the new competition for places, Jones then started all of Liverpool's league matches in September, that is until misfortune struck again when he was sent off after the intervention of the Video Assistant Referee in a controversial loss at Tottenham Hotspur.
A three-game ban followed by another [thigh] injury kept Jones out of the side until after the November international break as this campaign appeared to be following the stop-start nature of his previous seasons at Anfield.
But having regained fitness, Klopp gave Jones the ultimate vote of confidence by starting him in the 1-1 draw at champions Man City at the end of that month, with the player having since featured in all but one of their league matches.
Equally, though, a matured Jones has repaid Klopp's trust in him by becoming a pressing monster - the German said during Liverpool's slump last season that the only way into his team was by pressing - combined with a new-found appetite for goals and crucially, an injury-free run in the side.
"When I came in the team, I felt I hit a wall," he said. "It was about going over my game and finding improvements. I know that the manager and the staff want more. I've never seen myself as a player who can be the first to press, but that is what the fans say now. I've added that in my game.
"I've still got a lot to learn, but I'm getting there."
When I came in the team, I felt I hit a wall. I've never seen myself as a player who can be the first to press, but that is what the fans say now. I've added that in my game. I've still got a lot to learn, but I'm getting there.
All of which culminated in two recent man-of-the-match performances against West Ham United and Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup and Premier League respectively, when for many observers it was Jones' goals that caught the eye, but for his manager it was something else.
"Special game, special game from Curtis, to be honest," Klopp said after the 4-1 win against the Magpies at the turn of the year. "His high press, his counter-press.
"We all know how good a player Curtis is, he's technically incredibly skilled, but he finds more and more direction in his dribbling, he gets better out of situations.
"And his pressing, counter-pressing, meanwhile, he sets the level, actually, how it should look. I'm really happy with that. It keeps every player in the game. The counter-pressing we played was absolutely exceptional, absolutely.
"It was [like] a school video, you have to show it [to people] who want to do it."
Former Liverpool captain Jamie Carragher has also been impressed with what he has seen of late from the one-time academy graduate.
"What a night for that young man, he deserved his goal, he was fantastic," said the Sky Sports pundit of his contributions against the Hammers which set up Wednesday night's League Cup semi-final first leg with Fulham at Anfield.
"There's no doubt for me, he's played his way back into Liverpool's best XI."
Carragher is right, with Jones now one of the first names down on Klopp's team sheet, which is quite some turnaround from just 12 months ago when he was struggling to even get in the Reds squad.
Jones has always had the technical ability to be a first-team regular, as demonstrated with that stunning strike against Everton at the start of his career, but it is now allied with hard work, versatility [he has even featured as both a holding midfielder and a right back this season], maturity [Klopp made him captain in the League Cup win over Leicester City in September] and consistency to create the all-round player we see today.
Being a local lad, the fans appreciate the contributions of their always-smiling, cheeky Scouser even more, especially with his performances helping power Liverpool to the top of the table, while also keeping them still involved in three cup competitions as we move into the second half of the season.
And if the Reds are to enjoy another trophy-laden campaign like they did two years ago, then this time expect Jones to play a pivotal role having now gained his manager's trust.
"I feel I'm at a point now where he [Klopp] understands, 'OK, we can bring him on if the team is getting beat because we know he can pop up with a goal, or he can create something," he said.
"Or he can start in a big game because we know what we'll get from him is going to be hard work, he will go and press, he won't hide if the other team is on top, he will want the ball still, he's not scared.'
"So, I feel like I've gained his trust. But I've still got a long way to go."
Not only that, but if Jones carries on performing as he has this season, then there could even be a first-ever callup to the England senior squad ahead of this summer's Euros in Germany.
"If you're playing well then you deserve a chance," he said of that possibility in October. "But I don't look that far ahead. If I'm playing here and playing well, scoring goals, then that will take care of itself."
