How Curtis Jones has blossomed into one of England’s best midfielders

It has been a breakthrough season for Liverpool star Curtis Jones in more ways than one.

On the pitch he excelled for the Reds and led the Arne Slot revolution, putting them firmly at the top of the Premier League.

In the Champions League match against Real Madrid on Wednesday, 23-year-old Jones received rave reviews for his action-packed performance.

Not only did he help his team to a 2-0 victory, he also kept Jude Bellingham in his pocket for 90 minutes.

And now an incredible statistic has come to light that shows perhaps his greatest attribute.

The England forward is his country's leading passer of the ball and has completed a higher percentage of passes than his rivals.

Interim England boss Lee Carsley said: “Curtis Jones would be one of the most talented players I have worked with.”

“He has everything you need as a midfielder. He can run, very fast, powerful, he can score, he can assist, he can defend, he can receive the ball. All he needs are chances.”

New Liverpool boss Slot has also spoken about Jones' abilities this campaign.

The Dutchman told the BBC: “He has a lot of qualities on the ball.

“He is never afraid to do something special with it, but sometimes he hits the ball a little too much in my opinion because he is so confident.

“But trust is an important tool. He has an incredibly hard work rate and we trust him in defense. He is complete.”

“For him now it's all about consistency. The best players show up every three days and that's what he has to show.”

Jones' return to form has coincided with a personal milestone: becoming a father for the first time, in what is proving to be a momentous campaign.

Class distributor

In November, Jones made his England debut under Lee Carsley – shortly afterwards welcoming daughter Giselle with partner Saffie Khan.

He made his bow against Greece on a night to remember, scoring with a daring backheel move.

A few weeks earlier he dominated Chelsea by scoring the opener and winning a penalty in a man-of-the-match display.

Despite that brutal act, however, it is his death that is highlighted.

According to WhoScored.com, he's flying high when it comes to conversion rate data.

Amazingly, Jones has completed 94.8 percent of his passes this season and ranks sixth among all players in Europe's top five leagues.

Compared to established stars Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice, whose pass rates are 90.1 per cent and 89 per cent respectively, Jones ranks top among his Three Lions competitors.

Even players like pass masters Martin Odegaard (85.9 percent) and Bruno Fernandes (81.5 percent) follow him in the Premier League.

Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard believes there is more to come from Jones, who has found a new life under Slot.

“Rafa [Benitez] “I had to grab on to take me to another level, and the exciting thing for me looking in is that Arne looks like the man who can really get Curtis to the next level,” Gerrard said.

“If he [Slot] If we can get him there, we have a top international player on our hands. I am very excited to see his next 18 months and beyond.”

Before he came on the scene

Jones' recent success comes as no surprise to those who tipped him for the top when he came through Liverpool's youth academy.

He joined the club from the Under-9s and progressed quickly. He made his U18 debut as an U16 player in the 2016-2017 season and became captain of both the U19 and U23 side.

Jones was born in the city center and honed his skills on the streets. He is a local boy and is considered one of them.

“There is a primary school at the beginning of my street,” he told The Independent.

“In the evening we would climb over the fence and play on their field, or we would take one of the goals and play in the street all night. But then we always put it back.

“I grew up like a lot of Scousers, just a street kid, not having the best facilities, and making the most of everything you can.”

In 2017, Jones became one of the most talked-about youngsters in English football when he led Liverpool to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Youth League with four goals.

They went to Manchester City, with Jones being one of the Liverpool players to have their penalties saved in the 3–2 shootout.

Despite that upset, it helped cement his reputation as one of the most promising players of his generation.

Influence of Stevie G

Former Under-23s manager Michael Beale described Jones as a player “who can beat you one-on-one, play in central midfield, play wide and as a deep midfielder”.

However, it was icon Gerrard who had a huge influence on the youngster as he strove to reach the level at Anfield.

Before taking up a role as Rangers manager, the now Al-Ettifaq coach had a spell with Liverpool's U18 team in 2017.

There he started working with Jones, who admitted he wouldn't be where he is today without Gerrard's help.

“A lot of people didn't see how much work we both put in to push me to get into the first team,” Jones said.

“It wasn't always easy, but he was the perfect person at the perfect time to help me.

“He was the head coach who really told me what I needed to work on. It was my all-around game, but also my all-around person. He knew the talent I had and presented me with the fine details.”