Liverpool star ‘happiest I’ve ever been’ as Slot style ‘suits me and the lads’ better than Klopp

Jason Soutar
Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones says he is loving life under Arne Slot
Curtis Jones says he is loving life under Arne Slot

Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones is loving life under Jurgen Klopp’s replacement Arne Slot, whose “style of play suits” the 23-year-old perfectly.

Slot has the tough task of replacing legendary Liverpool manager Klopp, who decided to leave after over eight years at the club.

It will be very difficult to emulate the German’s success but at least the former Feyenoord boss has the backing of his players, particularly Jones.

The English playmaker has hailed the impact Slot has made in his early weeks at Anfield and admits he is now “the happiest I’ve ever been” in his career.

“He’s amazing, actually,” Jones began. “I’ve said it a lot, it’s probably the happiest I’ve been in terms of a style of play that suits me and the lads that we have in our team, it’s a clear plan.

“In the training stuff, he is fully involved, he coaches us a lot, he is big on the finer details in things.

“He has a certain way of playing and he knows it is going to take a little bit of time because it is obviously a big change.

“He and his staff are chilled about it and they know that the quality is all there.

“We have still got lads who are coming back as well, so it’ll be a step up again.”

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Jones continued: “It is the happiest I’ve ever been, I’d say.

“It’s always been a hard time. I came around the team as a young lad, I always had a way of playing and the team I was coming around, I had to adapt [to], I had to change. But that was part of the plan. It wasn’t anything I couldn’t do, but I just feel now this is more me.

“I can get on the ball more, I can do me more, so I am excited.”

Asked what Slot is like off the training pitch, Jones said: “Great man, he always has a smile on his face. You can approach him at any single time.

“You can ask for him and he has brought in a thing where there is a guy we are working with who will be showing our clips from training and stuff, showing all the things we are doing well and the stuff we need to improve on as well. I find that a huge help.”

And on that pressure of replacing Klopp, Slot has insisted that there is pressure at every big club, regardless of who their predecessor is.

“I think if you go to one of the biggest clubs in the world, there is always pressure,” he said.

“I’ve already explained in Liverpool that you can look at it two ways. You can be afraid [of] his legacy. But you can also look at the fact that he left behind a team that can win things.

“I’ve won a few trophies as well at Feyenoord and I’m hoping that I can do the same over here as well. That’s the aim we’ve got and that’s my aim as well.”

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