Name: Curtis Jones

Club: Liverpool

Date of Birth: 30 January 2001

Position: Midfielder/winger

Curtis Jones - His career so far

Curtis Jones is a 19-year-old midfielder who has been one of the Reds since an early age, climbing through the ranks from Liverpool’s U9 side up until their senior team in 2019/20. The talented youngster made his U23 debut back in January 2018 and shortly after that, in February, the Reds tied him down with his first professional contract.

Even though he didn’t feature for the seniors until a bit further down the line, Jones was a regular at Melwood in 2017/18, often participating in Jurgen Klopp’s training sessions and was even named in the matchday squad for the Merseyside derby with Everton at Goodison Park that season.

The first glimpses of his talent were seen during the team’s pre-season tours in the summer of 2018 when he played a big part in the friendlies, showcasing his potential and impressing the gaffer along the way.

But it was not until January 7, 2019, that his first-team debut arrived in the FA Cup third-round tie away at Wolverhampton Wanderers. It would, however, take him another year to score his first goal for the seniors, slotting a curler to beat none other than Everton 1-0 at Anfield in the same competition.

Jones is also a well-establish figure in Liverpool’s younger squads, recording appearances for their U18, U23 and UEFA U19 squads respectively. He is also quite prolific, scoring 15 goals and assisting six in 29 games for the U18s, 13 and seven in 33 for the U23s and 13 and three in 18 games for the UEFA U19s.

So far, we’ve seen him don the red colour of the first-team nine times during his stay with the Scousers, scoring twice and assisting one goal under his belt in the process as well. Eight out of those nine appearances came in 2019 and one in 2018/19.

Both goals have been scored in the FA Cup while the single assist was tallied in the EFL Cup, all in 2019/20.

Transfer latest

Currently, it seems that Jones is set to stay at Anfield for the time being and eventually become a regular first-team player and more importantly, an undisputed starter at the club despite possible transfer news surrounding him. The now 19-year-old signed a contract extension back in August 2019 which is valid until 2024, according to Transfermarkt.

This would indicate his importance to the upper hierarchy at the club and the local boy is already on route to having a much bigger role within the squad, as evidenced by his recent appearances with the senior team in 2019/20.

He was, however, courted by the likes of Glasgow Rangers, led by Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard, who wanted the young lad on loan but were promptly shown the door by the Reds, as indicated by some of the latest transfer rumours.

There were also transfer news on Leeds United and Swansea being among the interested parties back in December and before the January transfer window opened but Liverpool have since seemingly changed their stance, as was indicated by their snubbing of Rangers’ inquiry later on.

Besides, it was Klopp himself who mentioned Jones as a possible candidate for a step-up back when he was giving some big Liverpool news back in February. If those words and the player’s recent outbreak are any indications at all, the 19-year-old is poised to stay and develop at Anfield, regardless of the transfer rumours that linked him with a plethora of suitors.

Player profile

The thing that stands out the most about this young talent is his sheer versatility. According to Transfermarkt’s database of games, he’s been deployed all over midfield and even on the wings throughout his career and can be utilised in many different ways, depending on the team’s needs. (source: )

By looking at Wyscout’s heatmap for 2019/20, we can see his tendency to stick to the left side and occupy the left half-space to advance the ball into the final third and then the opposition’s box as well.

The most common weapon in his arsenal seem to be dribbles, as he attempted 7.73 per 90 minutes in 2019/20, completing an impressive 52%. He also averages 4.54 touches in the box which tells us he likes to go forward and present himself as an option in the danger zones.

When we accompany that with 3.92 shots per 90 minutes and 2.98 progressive runs, we get a highly technical and aggressive player who is both creative and deadly on the ball. The transfer rumours may have stopped for now but if Liverpool don’t make sure he’s tied down, there are bound to be vultures prowling around once again.