Curtis Jones says he is maturing into a leader-like figure in the Liverpool dressing room and has taken a lot of useful experiences from starring in England’s Under 21s glory in the European Championships this summer.
The 22-year-old Scouser recently passed 100 appearances for the Reds and will return to the squad in tonight’s Europa League encounter with Toulouse after serving a three-match ban for a controversial red card in the much-discussed defeat at Tottenham last month.
Jones has been a regular in Liverpool’s XI this season despite Jurgen Klopp’s side spending north of £150million on fellow midfielders in the summer, and believes he is back to his best after a couple of campaigns plagued by multiple injuries.
‘I had a time where I was out for, I think it was 15 weeks or something, and it was (all about) the hunger I had in me to come back and play,’ said Jones. ‘I just worked hard. My frame of mind changed, and I matured as well.
‘I came back and I was fortunate enough to help with goals and assists, but the most important thing that I had at the end of the season was that I was playing game after game after game. (The U21 Euros) helped 100 per cent.
‘I think I had 12 games consecutively (for Liverpool before the Euros). I came in, I had a buzz about me, confidence. I went in there and I was myself and I was fortunate enough to make the team of the tournament and I scored the goal (in the final) apparently! I’m carrying on the form.’
Jones’ joke is referring to the tournament-winning goal which deflected in off him from a Cole Palmer free-kick. He says he feels like one of the seniors at Anfield now especially with the mass changes made in the summer.
‘It’s a tough one, if I’m honest, because I’ve always been the
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