Most of the teenagers might be enjoying their holidays- sleeping peacefully or daydreaming, lying on their cushions. Well, with the probable exception of Greta Thunberg, who might be assessing the climatic conditions of the world.
But Curtis Julian Jones lifted the Premier League silverware at Anfield recently- Steven Gerrard couldn’t lift one in his illustrious 17 year Liverpool career.
Even though he did not get much game time under his belt due to the improved performances from the midfield trio of Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, and Gini Wijnaldum, the 19-year old has impressed one and all in those limited opportunities he was provided.
The Englishman featured on 12 occasions this season and his impressive performance on the pitch has convinced the Reds to retain him until 2025. Jürgen Klopp is happy with the development of the home grown attacking midfielder and his progress has been rewarded with a new contract at Anfield. He has put pen to paper on a new improved 5 year deal – he has been at the club since the age of nine and progressed all the way through to the senior squad.
The Premier League champions have started laying the groundwork for the club’s big summer plans and it seems that they are content with the present midfielder setup- the signing of a 5 year contract might even be an indication of the bigger role Jones would play in the upcoming season.
Klopp is looking forward to the club’s youngsters and will be expecting more from the talented youngster. He is viewing him as part of both the short and long-term future and strived to provide him with opportunities on the pitch to get him ready for the next season. He even got to play around 25 minutes against Chelsea before lifting the elusive trophy with his teammates.
The midfielder made his first team debut in 2019 in the FA Cup third round tie against Wolverhampton Wanderers. He has scored 3 goals in his fledgling career, the most memorable one being the winning goal against Everton in the FA Cup third round in January.
He also scored against Shrewsbury Town in the fourth round of the league and later became the club’s youngest ever captain at the age of 19 years and five days in the reverse fixture. He scored his first Premier League goal in the dying minutes of the game against Aston Villa just a day after signing the lucrative deal with the club (That perhaps stirred him up…). He scored in a 2-0 victory over Villa with a fine volley in the 89th minute of the game and will never forget this moment for the rest of his life.
Coming off the bench ahead of players like Xherdan Shaqiri and Takumi Minamino suggests that the Liverpool manager sees him as a part of his plan going forward.
Even though he lacks in experience, he more than makes up for in confidence and composure. He is a proper ‘Scouser’ and his inner confidence and belief sets him apart from many of his peers. He is versatile and play in a number of positions across the midfield and forward line. His dribbling ability and skills are immaculate and can glide past defenders with a swivel of the hips and a sharp change of pace. We expect to see more from this assured, hugely-talented youngster in the long run. He is surely a future star to watch out for.
