Jurgen Klopp has admitted that Curtis Jones experienced an odd injury earlier in the season that kept the 22-year-old out of action for some time.
Speaking to Liverpool’s official website, the German manager revealed that it’s been a difficult year for the England youth international, with Jones only now returning to his best after three impressive performances on the spin, the latest of which coming last night against West Ham.
Having spent the majority of the season out on the injury table or sat on the bench, Jones’ return to the starting XI and to form has been a welcome surprise for Liverpool supporters, with Klopp going into detail on why the midfielder has been absent.
Klopp said on the 22-year-old’s injuries this season: “Curtis has [had] a super-difficult season this year. It started with a freakish injury, it happens to young boys but he was on the edge of being not that young anymore to get these kind of things.”
The Liverpool boss added on Jones’ performance against West Ham: “He set the tone again today with the first counter-pressing situation, he was super-important. He is a good footballer, we all knew, he has to improve, we knew as well, and he knows, but he’s in a really good moment, a really good moment, [and that is] super helpful.”
Curtis Jones is playing his best football ever after injury nightmare
Few would have predicted Jones to become an indispensable member of Liverpool’s midfield and to keep the likes of Thiago Alcantara and Harvey Elliott out of the starting XI, but that’s just what the 22-year-old has achieved in the last few games.
The England youth international is playing his best football to date in Liverpool’s senior team, and with Jones growing more into his new midfield role, there’s a good chance that Klopp could hand the youngster a place in the line-up for the start of next season.