Curtis Jones of Liverpool showing his appreciation to the fans
Curtis Jones of Liverpool showing his appreciation to the fans
Steve McManaman has stressed Curtis Jones must begin scoring and assisting on a regular basis for Liverpool in order to take his game to the “next level.”
Jones put in a Man of the Match performance during the Reds’ recent Carabao Cup quarter-final win over West Ham United, netting twice in the 5-1 romp at Anfield.
The second goal in particular during this game was reminiscent of the fearless nature often seen during Jones’ days in the Liverpool Academy, a period during which the 22-year-old made a name for himself as a goalscoring midfielder.
This performance resulted in the youngster being handed a Premier League start against Arsenal on Saturday evening. The challenge for Jones will now be to go on a consistent run in the team, having often seen progress disrupted by injuries.
Sharing his thoughts on the throwback display produced by the Liverpool-born star and how Jones still has room to grow as a player, McManaman told the ECHO: “I loved the way he played against West Ham United, that’s the way he should play all the time.
“During his time with the under-18s and under-21s, that’s what he was like. He was the leading goalscorer, he took people on and was the most creative. When you see him play like that in the first-team, it’s exactly how I remember him and I hope to see more of that.
“When he first made that step-up, maybe he was trying to play it a bit safer and you take fewer chances in the game. Liverpool always play with three forwards, so there are always people ahead of you who you feel you have to pass to. I know Curtis very well. When he has that confidence and drives forwards, he very rarely gives the ball away. For a midfielder, everybody talks about adding goals and assists. It takes you to the next level.
“I worked at the Academy when he was coming through and spoke to him a lot. I’m not saying I’ve given him advice and helped him on his way, but I’ve been there for a lot of his games at youth level. I speak to him now and again and I’m thrilled to bits for him.”
McManaman knows all too well the feeling of carrying the weight of the city on your shoulders when representing Liverpool as a local lad, having grown up in Kirkdale before going on to make 364 first-team appearances for the Reds.
Knowing how to handle that pressure that comes with that sense of added responsibility is no simple task, but McManaman does not believe Jones is lacking in this department.
“Knowing Curtis and the character he is, he won’t feel the pressure,” said the 51-year-old. “He will be a bit like Trent Alexander-Arnold in terms of having broad shoulders when criticism comes your way. He has always been very confident since 16 or 17 years of age and that hasn’t changed.
“Of course there is pressure on the scousers because we know what it felt like when we were younger to play for your team. Your dream is to play in the first-team and now Jones has got there, he must really grasp it. When you think of Liverpool’s first-team, you think of Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, Alexander-Arnold – now he wants to elevate himself to that level. If he keeps on performing like we saw against West Ham, he soon will be.”
