You can see the stone Liver Birds on the Royal Liver Building peeking over the top of the new Hilton Hotel and, if you turn the other way, the gothic spire of Liverpool’s Anglican cathedral from the playground of Curtis Jones’ former elementary school.
We are in the L1 zip code, the core of the city and the neighborhood where Liverpool’s most accomplished homegrown attacking midfielder grew up. “I always joke with Trent [Alexander-Arnold] that I’m a real Scouser: I’m L1,” Jones says. “These are the origins of Liverpool. You are the epitome of Liverpool. I am proud to be from such a location.”
He is dropping off new footballs and catching up with his erstwhile teachers at the St. Vincent de Paul primary school. Additionally, he has paid for the new school year’s sports apparatus for the children. To give us a sense of where he is from, he chose this location for his first significant interview with a national publication.
He is the epitome of a Liverpool native, having grown up within walking distance of the Royal Albert Dock, the Cavern Club, and all the other landmarks that make the city famous besides football. As a teenager, he experienced a meteoric ascent to prominence and is now a self-assured, engaging young man. Additionally, he frequently repeats his core credo, which is that elite football is difficult and finding your position requires a great deal of dedication.
Since I was a child, there had been much chatter about me, he explains. “There have always been lofty expectations. I manage it well and am aware that it will not always be smooth sailing. I anticipate that there will be bumps and impacts. I am a child who is willing to accept the challenge. I appreciate the entire experience. I comprehend everything that has been said, both the negаtive and positive. I always go out into the world and represent myself. The position I am in now allows me to reveаl my true self. I am just attempting to reach a point where I am participating in all games and maintaining consistency. More goals scored and assists provided.”
He had a fearsome finish to the previous season when he tallied three goals in 12 consecutive games. Then, in the summer, he was a key figure in England’s victory in the European Under-21 Championship, the country’s first at that level since 1984. He made his debut for Liverpool when he was 17 years old. At age 18, he struck the game-winning goal in a Merseyside derby. However, he has also been injured, and at the age of 22, he believes it is time to demonstrate the world what he is capable of.
“Yeah, all of that is good, but I want more,” he says. “I have always known [as a junior international] that I am superior to them [other European sides] when I competed against them as a younger player. Now you are discussing the Euros, where the finest players between the ages of 18 and 22 compete. Without attempting to sound arrogant, I’ve always known I was above this level. I relished the Under-21s, and our [England] team consisted of first-team players for their respective clubs. But now I want to be in the Champions League and World Cup finals and win the Premier League. I see myself functioning at that level.”
