1 year ago
210 Red Bull Salzburg youngster Oscar Gloukh has lauded Curtis Jones after facing the Liverpool midfielder at the European under-21 Championships this summer, picking out the Englishman as one of the two best players he came up against during the tournament.
Gloukh was speaking to the Daily Mail as Salzburg prepare for their Champions League opener against Benfica on Wednesday night.
It is almost remarkable to think that Curtis Jones is still only 22 years of age. In fact, the midfielder ended up making his 100th appearance for the Reds in all competitions at the weekend, playing the full 90 minutes in the 3-1 win against Wolves.
Jones will be hoping that this year is a real breakout season for him as he has never quite been able to establish himself as a stalwart for Jurgen Klopp.
But it appears that he does have some momentum behind him, having helped England’s under-21s win a major tournament over the summer.
Gloukh so impressed by Curtis Jones at U21 Euros
The Three Lions beat Israel twice on their way to glory. And it seems that Jones’ displays left a lasting impression on Oscar Gloukh as he picked out the players who impressed him most at the tournament.
“It was special,” he told the Daily Mail of the clashes with the eventual champions. “The best I saw there, it was Curtis Jones and Angel Gomes.
“Both were playing as sixes and I think, against us, maybe they lost the ball once all game!
“They moved the ball, their positioning [was good], they controlled the game – every minute. We didn’t touch the ball a lot. We were more defensive. But to see them, Premier League players, this is the level you want to go to, to get to. It was a good experience.”
Jones has come in for a lot of criticism during his time at Liverpool. And there have been a few occasions when it has appeared that he is not going to quite be at the level to make the grade at Anfield.
But when he is at his best, he is undoubtedly an amazing talent.
Liverpool are going through a period of transition, particularly in midfield. So there is an opportunity for Jones to kick on.
But it does feel as though it could be a really important season for the youngster.
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