Liverpool talent Curtis Jones has revealed what James Milner told him before he made his full senior debut for the Reds against Wolves in the FA Cup.
Jones was handed a full senior debut alongside Rafael Camacho as Liverpool suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Wolves in the third round of the FA Cup at Molineux on Monday evening.
The Reds dished out opportunities to several fringe players in the squad, but were steamrollered in the first half by a spirited Wolves, who took the lead through Raul Jimenez.
Divock Origi restored parity in the second half, but Liverpool found themselves behind after a sublime long-range effort from Ruben Neves.
Jones, who was sacrificed for Roberto Firmino in the 70th minute, revealed that Milner gave him confidence and freedom to play his natural game before stepping out to make his full debut.
“I spoke to Milly before the game and he told me to be myself and be confident so I was trying to get on the ball and play the way I normally play [with] confidence, skill, flair”, Jones told the club’s official website.
The 17-year-old also heaped the praise on Wolves for their performance on the night and stressed that he was buzzing after making his full debut for the club.
“But it’s good opposition and, give them credit, they know how to deal with players that are good on the ball", he continued.
“I was trying to do what I can and, as I said before, I’m absolutely buzzing to make my debut.
“For any player that hasn’t had a lot of game time for the first team getting a chance to come on, the only thing the players want is to get back out there and show their talent and what they’re capable of doing.”
Jones, who is currently plying his trade at Under-23 level for Liverpool, has earned several caps for England across various age groups.
