Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones celebrates after scoring against Chelsea
Curtis Jones has been handed high praise from Steven Gerrard
Steven Gerrard believes Curtis Jones is more technically talented than he was and is deserving of his newly-found first-team spot under Arne Slot.
Local lad Jones made his 150th appearance for Liverpool in their 3-3 draw against Newcastle on Wednesday. Given how the 23-year-old has been incorporated into Slot’s plans so far, that appearance total will only keep ticking up.
The midfielder has featured in the Reds’ last 11 league games, scoring crucial goals against Chelsea and Newcastle. He has also played an important role in the club's perfect Champions League campaign so far.
With Jones a revelation for the new Dutch boss, Gerrard admitted that his breakthrough has been a long time coming, and feels that Jones has a superior ability to the icon that once graced Anfield.
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“Curtis is more talented than me in terms of technical, in terms of dribbling ability, in terms of manipulating the ball, close control,” Gerrard began, speaking to The Anfield Wrap.
“He felt he was more than ready [to break through]. The academy felt he was ready and the first team were probably thinking yeah, he’s ready to come and be a part of it but also to drop in and out.
Steven Gerrard talks to Curtis Jones (right) during the Derby County v Liverpool U18 Premier League game at the Derby County Academy on August 11, 2017
Gerrard was Jones' coach at U18 level ( Image: Photo by Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
“Every time Curtis played for me against Everton and Manchester United, he was the man of the match in every single game. That tells me that he’s got what you need to play for Liverpool. He needs to stay in this 11 now. He needs to take the challenge on.”
Next up on Jones’ agenda was a Merseyside derby against the Toffees on Saturday afternoon before adverse weather conditions saw the eagerly awaited clash postponed. Yet, as Gerrard indicated, these sort of fixtures filled with an underlying animosity seem to, and will likely continue to get the best out of the 23-year-old.
"First things first, I just want to win,” Jones told Liverpool when asked about the derby before it's postponement. “I'm a lad who hates to lose, I just want to win any game – in training I want to win, in a small game with friends I want to win.
"But this game is one where you've got friends who are Everton fans, you've got family and stuff. It's always seen as a battle of the city. I'm not going to think about that it's the last one there and things like that – it's with them and their fans and their history there. It doesn't really affect me.
"But any time that I play a game, I always want to win – and especially around these, I want to win even more. I'd like to come away with three points and a good game."
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