Jurgen Klopp says the ‘future is bright’ for ‘outstanding’ 19-year-old Liverpool player

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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has praised Curtis Jones, deeming the Anfield academy graduate an “outstanding talent” and tipping him for a “bright future”.

The 19-year-old has risen through the ranks at Liverpool and has come a very long way in the last two years, culminating in a great 2020 for him.

In early 2018, Jones signed his first professional contract at Anfield and made his Liverpool Under-23s debut.

This year, the young maestro scored Liverpool’s winning goal against Merseyside rivals Everton in the FA Cup third round.

Jones also became the Reds’ youngest ever captain in the FA Cup fourth-round replay against Shrewsbury, and ended 2019-20 with 12 senior appearances in all competitions.

This term, meanwhile, he has made 13 appearances, including three Premier League starts and four Champions League starts.

Indeed, Jones’ role as an unused substitute against Midtjylland in midweek raised some eyebrows and highlighted his growing status in the Liverpool ranks this season.

“He is a young talent still, but when you speak about the kids, you can forget about Curtis,” Klopp told BBC Sport at his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday’s Fulham game.

“When you are an outstanding talent in all of your age groups, then it is completely normal you develop a specific personality. He is very confident and nothing can hurt him, which is normal.

“When you then step up and realise a lot of really good players are around you in the first team, who are probably better because they are more experienced, a lot of talents struggle to adapt to that.

“From being the prince to being a normal player, but Curtis never struggled because of the experienced players who have shown him the pathway. He is in a good way and if it stay like this, the future is bright.”

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Liverpool already have a star-studded team as it is but what’s potentially even more exciting for the Reds fanbase is the abundance of talented players coming through the ranks, of which Jones is one of the most highly rated.

There are high hopes for Jones – contracted to Liverpool until the summer of 2024 – at Anfield and, earlier this year, Goal.com recognised his talent and potential by naming him at number 27 in their NxGn 2020 list.