The last time Curtis Jones played at the San Siro, he identified why Liverpool’s tactics succeeded. “I think it works because I am playing,” he said. That, perhaps, is Jones, cheeky and confident, but also a footballer with the capacity to exert an influence.
It was last December, three days after Mohamed Salah’s explosive interview at Leeds, with Liverpool omitting their greatest goalscorer for decades from the squad they took to Italy, with Arne Slot’s side having lost nine of their previous 15 games. They beat the 2025 Champions League finalists on their home turf. Jones was the best player on the pitch.