Steven Gerrard has urged Curtis Jones to build on his standout performance against Chelsea and demonstrate the consistency necessary to become a truly great player for Liverpool.
In the match, Jones won a penalty that allowed Mohamed Salah to score Liverpool’s opening goal.
He also had another penalty overturned after being initially adjudged to have been fouled by Robert Sanchez. Jones capped off his impressive display by scoring the winner from a cross by Salah.
Gerrard, who coached Jones during his time as the manager of Liverpool’s under-18s in the 2017/18 season, believes the midfielder, born in the city center, has the talent to become a mainstay in Arne Slot’s side.
However, he emphasized that Jones must also develop the mentality required to excel as an elite midfielder.
Speaking on Redmen TV, he said: “I’ve been a huge fan of Curtis for a very long time.
“I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to coach him and help him with a few things when he was a young player at the academy.
“But I think now this needs to be Curtis’ time.
“He’s coming into the prime years from an age point of view.
“I think he’s got a real strong profile as a midfielder.
“He was always extremely fit and robust so, for me now, it’s about Curtis trying to find that consistent level week in week out and really owning that shirt in the middle of the park, because he’s certainly got the talent and the ability.”
Gerrard added: “I think to stay in the Liverpool team and perform at a real consistent high level, it’s about resetting yourself every couple of days.
“You’ve got to reset your mentality to perform at that level, to keep the shirt, because the performance against Chelsea was I believe as strong in a Liverpool shirt – and I’m not just saying that because that’s fresh.
“I think it was a real high-class performance; running into the box, that’s a strength.
“He’s capable of scoring more goals.
“He’s creative, he can play out, he’s got the strengths to really own one of the positions in that midfield, and I hope he really finds that level of consistency because I know he’s got it.”
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