Liverpool were 1-0 victors against Everton in the Merseyside derby, with one of the main storylines surrounding Curtis Jones.

The England international started at right-back for the first time in his career, with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Conor Bradley both unavailable for the Reds as Arne Slot took a gamble on playing Jones in defence, a decision which worked well.

Andy Robertson was full of praise for Jones for stepping up to play right-back in one of the biggest games of the season for the Reds, though Gary Nevile believes the Liverpool midfielder’s future in the position is not a long-term one.

And Slot has made a good point that will serve as a wake-up call for the Liverpool fans who have doubted Jones’ role in the team up until now.

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Speaking to the press ahead of Liverpool’s next Premier League game against Fulham, the Dutch manager showered Jones with praise after his display at right-back, with Slot touching on how useful a player like the England international will be in the years to come.

With Joe Gomez’s versatility a key reason why the Liverpool defender is as respected as he is at Anfield, Jones can become the latest player to occupy a role like this for the Reds, which going into next season could be huge.

Slot said when asked about Jones’ versatility: “That’s very useful for me.

Of course, me and Richard [Hughes] talk a lot about this season and next season and it is nice to have versatile players and Curtis is definitely one of them.

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“He has a skill set that he can defend, he can attack and that’s why he can play in so many positions.

And he has this mentality [that] if you give him a challenge, he likes to be challenged and yesterday was a challenge for him because it wasn’t his normal position.”

Jones’ newfound role as a right-back is something few Liverpool fans would have predicted heading into yesterday’s match at Anfield, with the midfielder passing the test with flying colours even with Everton’s attacking threat more than blunt.

Yet the 24-year-old’s performance has opened up a fascinating pathway for his future at Liverpool, with Jones now a player who can be relied upon in two key areas if there is an injury or if Slot is looking for a different option in midfield or at right-back.

Indeed, Jones’ performance could end up saving Liverpool millions in the summer, and the more the midfielder plays at fullback, the better the England international will become in the role as time goes on.


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