The one Liverpool player going under the radar after a quietly brilliant start to the season

Liverpool are blessed with a strong midfield contingent after a summer of shrewd spending, but Curtis Jones is continuing to prove his worth.

After what has been a brilliant start to the season, Jurgen Klopp’s side sit second behind Manchester City and look to be firing on all cylinders once again.

With plenty of options for Klopp to consider, some may have been concerned about whether Jones would continue to get the same game time he did at the back end of last season - and the last few games have told us that he is a player that is difficult to leave out.

Take the most recent game against West Ham, Liverpool played without a recongised defensive midfielder but they relied on the work rate of Alexis Mac Allister and Jones, who helped cover that area.

Jones recorded four tackles, won six duels, won aerial duel, managed one clearance and amassed a pass success rate of 96% in what was another consistent performance that hugely benefitted the team.

He’s become a selfless figure across the past five months and found a role that suits him and he’s currently flourishing with a 93% pass success rate so far this year.

Across his last 15 appearances in the league, he’s had 14 starts, 10 wins, five draws and no losses and his form at the back end of last season arguably saved his Liverpool career.

Prior to that run, which started in the 0-0 draw with Chelsea in April last season, he had played just seven times which included just one start - the 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest. With rumours of a midfield rebuild on the horizon and a lack of game time, many thought he was heading for the exit either on loan on a permanent move, since then, he’s shut his critics up and passed 100 appearances for the club in the process.

Speaking after the West Ham game, he claimed his confidence wasn’t knocked by the four new midfield arrivals this summer, even after a difficult time with injuries:

“It’s always been there [confidence]. I’ve had a difficult time [last season] when I got poked in the eye and was out for 10 weeks because the doctor said I couldn’t train and play.

“I came back but in a team like ours there’s lads in there that go out and play and they score goals and then it’s hard to take them out of the team, so there’s been times where I’ve had to wait my turn, but I’m at the point now where I’m in the team and I know what I’ve got to do.”