Anfield Watch
·21 November 2024
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Yahoo sportsAnfield Watch
·21 November 2024
One former player has espoused the opinion that Liverpool have in their squad a homegrown English player who is better than Jude Bellingham or Declan Rice.
Three months into the Reds’ season and there has been little to complain about from supporters, at least in terms of the on-pitch department.
One of head coach Arne Slot’s biggest strengths so far has been his managing of individuals and the strength in depth available to him, even in areas that look a little threadbare on paper.
Liverpool’s midfield is a prime example for this, especially after the understandable concern which erupted following the failed signing of Martin Zubimendi. Partly thanks to the revelation that Ryan Gravenberch has been, but also down to one other midfielder who is finally getting the credit he deserves.
Speaking on talkSPORT, former Liverpool and England midfielder Danny Murphy said that he believed Curtis Jones was the best midfielder that England have got, insisting that he should start for the national side going forward after a stunning first camp with the Three Lions.
Murphy said: "In the last six weeks, two months, Jones has been probably the best English midfielder.
"As of now [...] there's no doubt he starts."
It’s hard to argue that on current form Jones could well be better than England’s other midfielders such as Bellingham or Rice given their patchy club performances this season, and Jones would almost certainly start over other options such as Conor Gallagher or Morgan Gibbs-White.
Also speaking volumes is the fact that whilst Bellingham and Rice cost over £100m each when purchased by Real Madrid and Arsenal respectively, Jones essentially cost Liverpool nothing having come through the academy.
Jones appears to be yet another player who is slowly being moulded by Slot into something greater than we have previously seen, and has absolutely thrived over the past month, especially when it comes to his creative attacking output.