Curtis Jones has one very clear message for Arne Slot on the eve of the Premier League campaign – I’ll play wherever you want me to.
The 23-year-old featured in a deeper midfield role than usual for Liverpool in pre-season games, and while he’s stated that a central position is his preference, he’s happy to adapt to whatever job the new head coach gives him within the team.
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The Reds’ number 17 told the Liverpool Echo: “It’s important to be flexible now because you’re not always guaranteed to have your place in the team where that’s your position and you’ve made that mark.
“We play so many games and there could be injuries and stuff, and the manager knows I can play off the left, I can play as a 10, I can play as an eight, if he needs me to play right-back I’ve done it before.
“Although I want to be a central midfielder and play there, I’ve adapted to playing other areas and if he needs me to play anywhere else, I can do it.”
The vast majority of Jones’ 133 senior appearances for Liverpool have been in a central midfield role, but he’s occasionally featured as a number 6 and 10, has played on the left and even lined out at right-back against Brighton in the 2020/21 campaign (Transfermarkt).
One feature of the pre-season programme under Slot is that, in his system, players don’t tend to adhere rigidly to a fixed position, instead interchanging frequently in a fluid setup which promises to make for exciting viewing.
Therefore, as the 23-year-old himself has referenced, the likelihood is that he’ll sample a few different positions not just over the course of the season, but possibly within an individual match.
For Jones, the target will be to finally make himself a regular starter for Liverpool. He was chosen from the off in just 14 Premier League games last term, which is still his highest tally of top-flight starts in a single campaign (WhoScored).
He turns 24 next January, so he’s now at an age where he’s no longer content to be in and out of the team on a constant loop. If Slot gives him a few opportunities over the coming weeks, the onus is on the Toxteth native to perform to a degree where the boss simply can’t leave him out.
It should be fascinating to see how our number 17 fares under the new head coach’s tutelage.
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Jones’ tendency to slow play up, get caught in possession and barn door shooting is why he has never been able to hold down a regular first team spot. At his age he would be well advised to find another club.