Jurgen Klopp Hints at 'a Lot of Games' for Curtis Jones This Season

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp labelled home-grown midfielder Curtis Jones an ‘exceptional talent’ following the teenager’s two goals in the Carabao Cup tie against Lincoln on Thursday night.

Jones scored Liverpool’s third and fourth goals in the first half of the7-2 thrashing of the League One side and has widely been tipped for a breakout season with the Reds over the coming months after making 12 first-team appearances in 2019/20.

Jones spent most of last season as captain of the Under-23 team, but he has been a mainstay of the first-team squad so far in 2020/21. Thursday night represented his first start of the campaign after two previous substitute appearances.

“I think everybody knows my opinion about Curtis Jones. He is an exceptional talent and we will have some fun with him, I’m pretty sure, in the future,” Klopp said, via LiverpoolFC.com.

“Both goals were difficult. I think the second goal, the first touch was absolutely exceptional – between two opponents, little turn, then he opens up, sees the opportunity and finished it off. It was slightly deflected, but that’s just exceptional.”

What’s more, Klopp has hinted that Jones will get a ‘lot of games’ this season if he continues to take his chances when they come, as indeed will any player at the club.

“My door is always open, if a player shows desire, because they all can play football, that’s why they are at Liverpool,” the Reds boss explained.

“Who shows the desire we saw, who shows the attitude we saw, who shows so many things that I like and we want to see when a Liverpool team shows up, then there’s a big chance you’ll get a lot of games during the season.”

Jones is wearing the number 17 shirt this season, previously worn by Anfield legend Steven Gerrard.

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