Liverpool youngster Jones eyes more first-team minutes as he wins Klopp’s belief

Liverpool youngster Curtis Jones has set his sights on further playing time in the first-team after making his Premier League debut on Saturday.

The 18-year-old was brought on by Jurgen Klopp in the 76th minute for Andy Robertson with the Reds already 3-0 up against Bournemouth.

Can Jones force his way into Klopp’s plans? Five things to know…

• Academy graduate Jones made his Premier League debut on Saturday in Liverpool’s 3-0 win over Bournemouth.
• He came on for Andy Robertson in the 76th minute at Dean Court.
• It comes after he recently netted a hat-trick again Napoli in the UEFA Youth League for Liverpool Under-19s.
• Jones also netted the winning penalty in Liverpool’s League Cup shoot-out triumph over Arsenal in October.
• The youngster is now targeting further minutes in the first team.

Victory for the Merseysiders has kept the gap between themselves and second-placed Leicester City to eight points, while the chasm has widened with Manchester City after their defeat to Man Utd.

With the European champions in full swing at Dean Court, Klopp turned to highly regarded teenager Jones, handing the Liverpool wonderkid a brief cameo to showcase his talents on the Premier league stage.

He looked tidy and slotted in seamlessly as Liverpool saw out the final 15 minutes of the match. Speaking about making his top-flight debut after the match, Jones outlined his ambitions to receive further minutes under Klopp after proving himself to the German coach.

“Growing up and being a local lad, I think it’s everyone’s dream to go and play for your boyhood club,” he told the club’s official website.

“And to do it at a young age is a massive honour and I’m grateful, and I just say a massive thank you to the gaffer and his staff for having the belief in me.

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“As everyone could see the scoreline was perfect, so I could come on and be relaxed and play and show what I’m capable of doing.

“I spoke to the gaffer when I was getting warmed up and he was telling me to go on and be calm and go and play my game, which gave me all the confidence I needed. I went out there and I just tried to play my game.

“When you go into different kind of games and you play with a few of the youth lads, who don’t have that experience, it’s always that little bit harder.

“The rest of the boys around me made it that little bit easier and I’m looking forward to a few more of them games.”