Curtis Jones interview | 'I'm here to deliver more history and want to be a legend'

The 19-year-old Scouser has committed his future to his boyhood club by signing a new long-term contract after an impressive 2019-20 season on an individual level. 

Having become the youngest player to ever captain the Reds in a fixture and scored a memorable winning goal in a Merseyside derby at Anfield, the No.48 is determined to deliver many more special moments after inking his latest deal. 

Watch our chat with the Academy product in full via LFCTV GO now, or read on below for a transcript… 

Curtis, congratulations on your new deal. Another proud moment for you...

Yeah, definitely. It's come around quick. I think it was only a year to 10 months when I first signed my other one. But I've done well and I'm proud to have got another one. It was an easy thing for me to be able to put pen to paper and try and get it done as quick as possible. I'm very proud. 

How made up are you to commit your future to your boyhood club? 

For me, as everyone knows, it's massive. As you said then, it's my boyhood club and it's the whole of my family's club as well. For me it's huge. I think the environment and stuff is all positive and keeps me as positive as I can. Of course we're working with a great manager and around the best team in the world, so for me it was easy and [I'm] extremely proud. 

You must be delighted to see all your hard work and progression has paid off in resulting in this new deal...

Of course. I think for any of the young lads, including myself, you come in here and we work hard every day. The manager and the team have got that faith and belief in us. The opportunities that we've got have been huge throughout the whole of the season. I think I've took my chance well and it's repaid me in a great way. 

Do you want to tell us a bit about the work you’ve been doing to help with your development? 

It's a perfect environment. I've got great boys around that help me every day – Hendo, Millie, Lallana, Fabinho, the whole of the team is perfect for me to watch every day in training. But to be involved with them, you pick up so many things and the detail in what they do and they do everything perfect – their professionalism around the place, it's perfect. So I'm picking up all that and taking it into my game and to me as a person. It's paying off right. 

It's been an incredible season for you so far with so many memorable moments. Have you had chance to soak it all up yet? 

I haven't, no, because I think the boys are doing very well and the games are coming as quick as possible. I don't want to sit there and try and put it all on me because I think without the boys and the coaching staff around, I wouldn't have got those opportunities and wouldn't have been able to live that dream I've had. I need to give credit to the boys and the rest of the coaching staff most definitely. 

When you look back on your career a long, long time in the future, do you think this season will turn out to be a pivotal one? 

Yeah, definitely. As I said before, I'm just a young lad and I'm in the world's best team, definitely. The things I'm picking up every single day and the people that I'm learning from will definitely benefit me in the future.

What's it like for a local lad like yourself to be doing all this? A bit surreal I'd imagine...

Of course, it's a dream. As a young lad growing up who loved football, it was always my dream to come here and spend the whole of my career here. I'm here to make history at the club and try and be a legend at the club and want to be remembered by the whole of the fans throughout the whole time that LFC lasts.

You've had so many good moments in your young career already. You've had that taste, so how determined are you for more and potentially better ones?

Everybody knows me, I'm a confident boy, but now I've got to be patient and wait until the time's right and wait until the manager and his staff think it's right to put me in, which I know they will because I know the belief that they've got in me and I know they're perfect people to be around at the moment I am now in my career. As I always say, any time that I'm called upon and any position that I get put on in, I'll always give 100 per cent. As I said before, I'm here to make history at the club.  

And there's no better place for you to be than here at Melwood on a daily basis, is there?

I came in at the same age as what Harvey is now and him coming in, you can already see how well that he's fit in and how confident he is. But the same is for me and Neco, Ki-Jana and the rest of the young lads that are in there now, it's perfect. You come in and you're made welcome every single day. But, of course, the boys expect a lot from you because you're so young but you're up here for a reason. Of course there's a lot asked but that pays off for you in the future. I think the changing room is perfect and the team that I've got around us now at the minute is absolutely perfect. 

What are your hopes for the future then after penning this new deal?

Once I sign, I don't really think about that. I just want to go out on the pitch and be the best I can and show everybody the player that I'm going to be in the future. As soon as I signed now, I'm straight back out there, 100 per cent work again. As I said before, I'm looking forward to the opportunities that the manager and the rest of the staff will be giving. 

The manager obviously has such faith in young talent and has talked about wanting young players to make the step up to become established first-teamers. How determined are you to take him up on that offer? 

It's huge. Not only is it a dream but whenever I'm challenged, I love a challenge, especially now with the team that I'm in. I'm battling every day to try and get in the team or be on the bench or be around the squad. Every opportunity that I get I'll definitely be taking it with both hands and giving it the best shot that I've got. That's what I think I've done in the games that I've played in. 

But you have to earn those opportunities, don't you?

Definitely. Everybody knows now that the team we're trying to get in is the best team in the world, the players that are in there are world class. For me, I've got to be 100 per cent focused and give it 100 per cent every single day that I'm in here and keep doing my extra [work] that I'm doing around training.