'I hit a wall' - Liverpool star Curtis Jones opens up on struggles after breaking into Reds first team under Jurgen Klopp

Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones has spoken about his struggles after breaking into the club's first team as a teenager.

WHAT HAPPENED? The 22-year-old made his senior debut for the Reds in 2019 and has already appeared in more than 100 matches for the club. He revealed how he initially felt after breaking into the club's first team and how he slowly improved certain aspects of his game under the watchful eye of manager Jurgen Klopp.

WHAT THEY SAID: Speaking to reporters, the midfielder said: «As an academy kid I was always a kid who jumped up the age groups. Then I came into the first team and I kind of felt like I hit a wall, and I couldn’t really take the next step. So it was more just going over my game and seeing where the improvements were. I’ve always been a lad who just wanted to go and score goals and pick up the ball and run, you know. But it was at the point where then I learned, ‘OK, there’s more the gaffer and staff want.’

»Now the fans are all saying about how I go and press. I’ve never been a kid who thought about being the first one to go and press or to try to run the most, so I’ve added that in my game. I’m trying to work on just the overall package. I’ve still got a lot of things to learn, but I’m getting there."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Jones has endured an injury-hit start to the season, but has still managed to rack up seven appearances in all competitions amid competition from the likes of Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Wataru Endo. He added: «The competition is good, it’s healthy. We’re bonding well as a team, that’s the important thing.»

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WHAT NEXT? Jones is currently suspended in the Premier League for picking up a red card against Tottenham Hotspur. He has missed the league