Jeremy Jacquet’s stock continues to rise, with the highly-rated young Liverpool centre-back described as “absolutely unreal” on his debut for France.
The 21-year-old has arguably been the Reds’ standout player so far this season, with Virgil van Dijk lauding his superb display in the 1-0 win at Bournemouth:
“There is obviously a lot of praise and rightly so, but I know how it works when you play a game not at the standards you have set. So let’s just stay calm, keep working, and try to stay important for us.
“It [the partnership] is still a work in progress. There are still things we can improve but you learn by playing games. I said at the start that you experience things in games and see how each other react to certain moments, and then you adapt to that.
“So far, it is good. He is 21 years old and very promising, but it is up to him to keep working hard and staying calm. It’s a big credit to him how he started his Liverpool career, but we are in September. Hopefully there are years of his Liverpool career left.”
On Monday night, Jacquet was handed his France debut by Zinedine Zidane, and it proved to be a memorable evening, as he helped Les Bleus win 1-0 away to Belgium with a colossal performance.
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• CLEAN SHEET
• 10 Passes Into Final Third
• 88 Touches
• 4 Tackles
• 4 Recoveries
• 3 Clearances
• 100% Aerial Duels Won
• 3 Accurate Long Balls??? ???? ????. ? pic.twitter.com/LzYYJL2Aqc
— Rising Stars XI (@RisingStarXI) September 28, 2026
Journalist Bence Bocsak was one individual who loved what he saw from the defender, lauding him as “absolutely unreal” at the heart of the defence.
He was far from the only admirer, however, with Rio Ferdinand calling him the “perfect player to take over the defence” at Liverpool “for many years.”
The player himself gave a refreshingly mature assessment of his display, saying: “Am I satisfied with my performance? No! I’m thinking about two or three times in the attacking phase when I could have done much better with my passing. I’m not going to get into whether I’ll become a starter. I’m taking my time and keeping my feet on the ground. I’m asked to play, I’m given instructions and I try to follow them. I’ve got my head screwed on.”
Liverpool have signed a special player in Jeremy Jacquet
It is so easy to go overboard about a young player, heaping needless pressure on their shoulders, but it really does feel like Liverpool have signed a gem in Jacquet.
There is a reason why he has consistently captained France through younger age groups, and the start he has made to his Reds career highlights the confidence he has in his own ability.
At 21, it is only natural that there will be moments of struggle, as is the case with any emerging talent, but assuming he avoids serious injury, the sky is the limit for him at club and international level.
Giovanni Leoni was signed by Liverpool as a potential long-term replacement for Van Dijk, and that will hopefully happen if he recovers fully from his ACL setback.
In Jacquet, though, the Reds may even have signed a defender with a higher ceiling than Leoni, and it is going to be fascinating to see the pair develop together.
