Jamie Carragher heaped praise on Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones ahead of Jurgen Klopp’s side facing Chelsea in the EFL Cup on Wednesday.
The Sky Sports pundit shared that Steven Gerrard had first made him aware of the 17-year-old attacking midfielder and believed that the youngster took to first-team football like a duck to water in pre-season.
Carragher shared that he thought Jones had football arrogance which he describe as being an attribute that allowed him to standout and cope with playing alongside high-profile players.
“What I can tell you is I think he will fortunately get more chances at Liverpool than Chelsea as Jody was talking about (Hudson-Odoi),” said Carragher on Sky Sports Main Event (Wednesday September 26, 19:23).
“That is the good thing we have mentioned at this club, he’s an attacking midfield player who as soon as Steven Gerrard went down to the academy to manage, he was speaking to me about this player saying he has got a chance for the first-team.
“What he meant by that is that he (Jones) has a chance of dipping his toe in and it’s up to him, some people take to it, some people don’t.
“He’ll get opportunities under Jurgen Klopp as he is still very young, he’s got what I would call football arrogance when you see him play he’s got something about him, he stands out.
“You watch him at the level he has played at, will he take that to the first-team? Who knows but certainly in pre-season he really impressed, I think Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool supporters know he has that football arrogance.
“It’s whether some can take to senior football but certainly going off pre-season, Curtis takes to it like a duck to water.”
OPINION
Klopp opted to name Jones on the bench for the League Cup against Chelsea but that was promising enough. The teenage midfielder’s reputation already proceeds him and fans are chomping at the bit to see him handed first-team action in the near future. Hopefully for the sake of a player like Jones, the Reds go far in a competition like the EFL Cup as that will doubt lead to him having opportunities to feature for the senior side. Jones is yet to make an appearance for the first-team but has made a promising name for himself with the club’s youth sides. While Carragher is confident that the teenager will get opportunities to feature at Anfield, a loan spell may be in his future. Given that one of the Reds’ other promising youngster Harry Wilson was held onto until January last season before being loaned out, it wouldn’t be surprise if the same thing happened with Jones if he doesn’t taste enough senior football in the first half of the season.
