Liverpool’s "special" academy star may now leave an even bigger legacy than Trent - opinion

Liverpool’s "special" academy star may now leave an even bigger legacy than Trent - opinion

For those who are aggrieved, dismayed, Alexander-Arnold's legacy will stand strong through the ages, withstand the test of time. But it could have been more.

In fact, there's a homegrown member of Slot's Liverpool squad who may even eclipse Alexander-Arnold.

Here's why.

The academy star who may leave a bigger legacy
Alexander-Arnold is leaving Liverpool, but Liverpool has more than enough to forge plenty of success over the coming years. With such rich options across the park and coffers deep enough to replenish with high-level options, there's much to look forward to with Slot at the helm.

But the academy connection runs deep, and Curtis Jones is now tasked with stepping up to the plate and raising his own bar. He will, after all, be the eldest child in the Kirkby family, and one of the more experienced first-team players besides.

Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones celebrates
Indeed, having featured 170 times for the Reds, Jones, 24, has scored 19 goals and provided 20 assists, excelling in parts this season, seemingly enamoured with Slot's brand of fluent football.

He's been in and out of the starting line-up, but Jones is unquestionably a first-team mainstay, with the technical quality and midfield dynamism to become one of the city's standout stars with just a few more developments to his sprawling skill set.

As per FBref, Jones ranks among the top 6% of midfielders across the whole of Europe over the past year for assists, the top 1% for pass completion, the top 14% for successful take-ons, the top 4% for touches in the attacking penalty area and the top 13% for tackles in the middle third.

Those last few metrics border on obscurity, but they do highlight his combativeness in the middle of the park, willingness to jump forward and impact in the final third as well as maintain possession when in the depths of Slot's ball-playing game. A paragon of composure and metronomic presence, Jones bears the blueprint of a superstar.

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After all, FBref's data-driven collections reveal that Jude Bellingham is his most comparable player. Now there's a player, albeit not one whose achieved much popularity with the Liverpool fanbase.

So what's the point of all this? Why is it pertinent? Well, as previously alluded to, Jones has made steady progress at Liverpool since making his debut against Wolverhampton Wanderers in January 2019, since curling home that oh-so-sweet strike against Everton in the FA Cup, announcing himself.

Development is not linear, and Jones has had to battle through adversity to cement a place in Liverpool's squad, dealt bad hands on the injury front as well as some contentious hindrances in regard to disciplinary dealings.

But Jones has emerged from the fiery gates of uncertainty as an avid youth, now regarded as one of Liverpool's most talented and valuable players. CIES Football Observatory, in fact, have recorded Jones to have a market value of £67m, above the likes of Conor Gallagher and Dejan Kulusevski.

Maybe he'll never quite inspire awe as Alexander-Arnold's almost celestial range of passing has done, but Jones is industrious as they come; his heart beats Liverpool red.

Liverpool player Curtis Jones.
You wouldn't bet against the silky centre-midfielder from emulating Gerrard and retiring a one-club man. Hailed for his "special" performance for England against Greece in November by Fabrizio Romano, scoring on his debut, Jones is clearly going from strength to strength.

Should that be the case, given the trajectory Liverpool are following and the high regard he is held in by Slot, Jones may well be remembered more fondly than his soon-to-be-former teammate Trent when all's said and done.

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