England had a 33-man pre-training Euro squad chosen by Gareth Southgate which would be later cut to 26 players. Initially, four Liverpool players were part of the squad, however, two did not make it to the final team. Southgate left out Curtis Jones and Jarell Quansah. On the other hand, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez made it in England’s final crew.
Moreover, it was no surprise that Jones did not make it in the 26-man squad considering his recent form. However, seeing his name on the list would be amusing for the fans. Along with Curtis Jones and Quansah, five other players are going to be left out on the plane to Germany. The other players Southgate dropped from the squad are Harry Maguire, James Maddison, Jack Grealish, James Trafford and Jarrad Branthwaite.
Southgate believes Jones could get a chance of getting back in the national team soon
According to sources, the Liverpool man and Southgate had a private meeting last week, where Jones was told that he wouldn’t be on the plane to Germany. However, the manager praised him for his display during the training sessions. Moreover, the England manager also told Curtis that he had taken ‘great strides’ at Liverpool during the season and will do well in the future. Jones’ season was hindered by several injuries, leaving him with only 23 Premier League appearances. The 23-year-old had to deal with a thigh problem last season. Moreover, he faced an ankle injury that left him out for a few games. Despite this, Jurgen Klopp was happy with the player’s progress.
While speaking about Jones, the former Liverpool manager said,
“He’s a very good player but he is a role model for all our academy guys. Coming up through the academy all our boys are good footballers, they can just play football otherwise they would not go up through all the age groups. If Curtis Jones can learn defending, everybody can learn defending!”
Klopp also said that Jones is a great example to the youngsters and that he could go along way in the future.
The 23-year-old has a chance to start the 2024/25 season on a high
Now that Jones is out of England’s Euro squad, he will be present to train with Liverpool from day one. Additionally, it will be a fresh start for the players under Arne Slot. While Jones will be upset to be left out of the international squad, he will also get a complete season with Liverpool. It is in the player’s hands to take this opportunity positively and get an edge over his team mates.
Several Liverpool players competing for a starting spot in the midfield are on international duty. Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch are going to be away with their international sides. If Jones manages to step ahead of his team mates he could get a starting spot for Liverpool when the season begins. A starting 11 spot for the Reds could also help him return to England’s squad for the international friendlies in September.
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