Curtis Jones produced a Man of the Match performance in England’s 3-0 win away to Greece, on a dream debut for the Liverpool midfielder.
It’s easy to assume that the 23-year-old has played for the Three Lions at senior level by now, but Thursday saw him earn his maiden cap.
Deployed in a deep-lying midfield role, Jones was the pick of England’s players on the night, culminating in him scoring a fabulous back-heeled goal to complete the scoring.
It was a special moment for the young Scouser on a memorable night, and while his goal was the icing on the cake, his overall performance was outstanding, with Micah Richards waxing lyrical over him after the game on The Rest Is Football [via Empire of the Kop]:
“Curtis Jones was extraordinary, that’s one of the best England debuts I’ve ever seen. And what I mean by that, when you go to England sometimes the pace is a little bit slower and you sort of play the easy pass.
“If you look at Curtis Jones, his body positions, he was always available for the ball every time. When you play in that position, in a pivot No.6, you don’t always have to be dribbling and running past people, breaking the lines and playing that fantastic pass, it’s just being available for the ball.
“And I think him in that role, sometimes at Liverpool he plays as a No.8 and he likes to get in the box like we saw for his goal, but in terms of just being that person who was not afraid to get on it, I just thought it showed me his character and how fearless he is.”
Jones’ statistics against Greece sum up his all-round influence on the night, with the Liverpool ace completing 96% of his passes, only misplacing three out of 68.
Curtis Jones' first England game by numbers:
– 1 goal
– 96% passing accuracy (65/68)
– 7 duels won
– 7x possession won
– 4 tackles
– 2 fouls won
– 1 interceptionDebuts don't get much better. ? pic.twitter.com/Cur1nHlLrb
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 14, 2024
He also won seven duels and made four tackles, as he shone both in and out of possession.
Jones’ display may well have been food for thought for incoming England manager Thomas Tuchel, with the German no doubt keen to find the right balance in his midfield when he takes charge.
The Liverpool man has done his chances no harm whatsoever of forcing his way into his plans, and he is playing the best football of his career.
