A number of Liverpool players were in international action on Monday including Jeremy Jacquet, who impressed on his senior debut for France
Jeremy Jacquet and Bradley Barcola in action for France against Belgium
Jeremy Jacquet and Bradley Barcola in action for France against Belgium(Image: Getty Images)
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Jeremy Jacquet made his debut for France on Monday, completing the full 90 minutes for Zinedine Zidane’s side as they claimed a narrow 1-0 victory over Belgium.
But while it was a night to remember for the Liverpool star, that does not mean he was satisfied after the landmark occasion.
The 21-year-old has shone for the Reds so far this season. But after making his international debut, he admitted that he had not been satisfied with his own performance as he offered a refreshingly honest reflection on his maiden showing for his country.
"It's true that as a defender, a clean sheet is the best thing you can do,” Jacquet said. “Especially with the win at the end. I can only be happy.
“But to say I'm satisfied, no. I think back to two or three attacking balls when I could have done much better with my passing.
“In particular, I can find the back line more quickly when winning the ball back.
“Despite two or three turnovers, I'm generally happy. We're leaving with the three points and the clean sheet.”
He continued: "The coach told me two days beforehand that I would be playing. He's very close to all of us. I can't read his mind, but he gives everyone the opportunity to prove themselves, and everyone has taken their chance.
"He's not afraid to play young players or players with few caps. He talks a lot with the senior players, and when he has something to tell me, he lets me know. Overall, he's very close to the team, and he always speaks calmly when he has a message to deliver.
"I'm not going to get into whether I'll become a starter. I'm taking my time and keeping my feet on the ground.
"I'm asked to play, I'm given instructions and I try to follow them. I've got my head screwed on."
While Jacquet might not have been satisfied, the French media certainly were with the Liverpool defender given resounding reviews across the board.
However, they weren’t as kind to his Reds team-mate, Bradley Barcola, as his performance was dismissed as ‘messy’ and ‘wasteful’. The forward started for France and completed 77 minutes, before being replaced by Michael Olise who went on to score an 88th-minute winner.
However, things could have been different had he been awarded a first-half penalty following a challenge from Nathan Ngoy, with Barcola failing to hide his displeasure with the non-award after the final whistle.
"If I talk about it, I'm probably in trouble, but I have to say what I think,” he said. “I felt the contact. I was inside the box and I was trying to continue the action.
"Maybe the referee saw it differently, but from where I was, it affected the play. What frustrates me most is that these decisions can change a game. You work for 90 minutes and sometimes one moment decides everything.
"I don't want to complain about referees in the Nations League or Premier League, I just want consistency. If there is contact and it affects the attacker, at least take another look. I'll probably get fined for saying this, but honestly, I thought it was a penalty."
The French duo were not the only Liverpool players in action on Monday, as Dominik Szoboszlai and Milos Kerkez both completed the full 90 minutes as Hungary were held to a 0-0 draw away at Northern Ireland.
Florian Wirtz Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
Armin Pecsi and Kieran Morrison were both left as unused substitutes for either side.
Meanwhile, Giorgi Mardashvili was also involved in a goalless draw as he kept a clean sheet as Georgia were left frustrated by Ukraine in their latest Nations League encounter.
Elsewhere, Ronald Araujo completed the full 90 minutes and was booked as Uruguay won 4-1 against South Korea in an international friendly in a game which saw former Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez net a brace.
Over in North America, Keyrol Figueroa marked his full Honduras debut with a goal as he scored an early winner in their 1-0 victory over Jamaica in the Concacaf Nations League.
And the striker, who is currently out on loan at Port Vale, shared his pride following the final whistle, saying: "Look, look at what we did! The first goal of my career with Honduras. I'm very proud of this opportunity they gave me with the national team.
"I want to say thank you to my mom, my dad, my family, and the people who are very close to me and have supported me since I was a kid, since I was a baby. But this is the first one, the first one! Thank God! Let's go, let me go for more! Let's go, Honduras! Long live Honduras, let's go!"
And Kyle Kelly helped St. Kitts and Nevis to a 3-0 home victory over Grenada as the Reds midfielder completed the full 90 minutes.
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