Steven Gerrard believes Liverpool have a player who is ‘more talented’ than he was

One midfield star continues to shine for Liverpool under Arne Slot, with Steven Gerrard even claiming that the 23-year-old is more gifted than he was in his prime.

Gerrard believes Curtis Jones is technically more talented than he ever was and fully deserves his spot in the starting XI under Slot. The local talent reached his 150th appearance for Liverpool during their 3-3 draw with Newcastle on Wednesday, and given his role in Slot’s plans, this tally will likely keep growing.

Jones has appeared in the Reds’ last 11 league matches, scoring key goals against Chelsea and Newcastle. He’s also played a vital part in the team’s flawless Champions League campaign so far.

With Jones emerging as a standout under the Dutch manager, Gerrard acknowledged that his rise has been long-awaited and feels the young player surpasses him in certain technical areas. “Curtis is more talented than me in terms of technical, in terms of dribbling ability, in terms of manipulating the ball, close control,” Gerrard said, speaking to The Anfield Wrap.

“He felt he was more than ready [to break through]. The academy felt he was ready, and the first team were probably thinking, yeah, he’s ready to come and be a part of it but also to drop in and out.”

As Jones’ coach at U18 level, Gerrard recalled, “Every time Curtis played for me against Everton and Manchester United, he was the man of the match in every single game. That tells me that he’s got what you need to play for Liverpool. He needs to stay in this 11 now. He needs to take the challenge on.”

Jones’ next challenge was to be a Merseyside derby against Everton, but adverse weather led to the game being postponed. As Gerrard pointed out, these high-stakes fixtures, charged with local rivalry, tend to bring out the best in the 23-year-old.

“First things first, I just want to win,” Jones shared with Liverpool before the postponement. “I’m a lad who hates to lose, I just want to win any game – in training I want to win, in a small game with friends I want to win.”

He continued, “But this game is one where you’ve got friends who are Everton fans, you’ve got family and stuff. It’s always seen as a battle of the city. I’m not going to think about that it’s the last one there and things like that – it’s with them and their fans and their history there. It doesn’t really affect me.”

“But any time that I play a game, I always want to win – and especially around these, I want to win even more. I’d like to come away with three points and a good game.”