Reaction'It was my only goal' - Curtis Jones on 200 LFC appearances and win over Brighton
Curtis Jones was delighted to mark his 200th Liverpool appearance by helping to secure a 2-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion.
The midfielder retained his berth in Arne Slot's starting XI from the midweek Champions League win at Internazionale for the visit of the Seagulls.
And the Reds followed up that European showing by claiming three Premier League points, with Hugo Ekitike scoring both goals at Anfield on Saturday.
Post-match, Jones spoke to Liverpoolfc.com about the clash with Brighton, his milestone outing and more. Read a summary of the interview...
On it being a 'big three points' at Anfield...
A hundred per cent, yeah. It's been a long time since we've seen the team play in back-to-back games like that, where in the beginning of the game we stick in there. Against two good teams as well, who can obviously play as well. But the lads are in the mindframe of 'we don't quit' and when the chance comes that we'll take our chance. And that's what we did.
On the importance of an early goal for the Reds...
It's important in games like that, and in terms of the form we've had in terms of a dip. I feel that teams have come against us and probably thought, I wouldn't say it's an easy game but they can nick points. I feel that the first goal showed them and their fans and their staff that it's not sweet over here, that we're still here as a team and as a fan base and the support is always there as well. I thought the first goal changed everything. Obviously there were spells in the game where they were on top but that's part of the Premier League, there's never a team that is seen as an easy game.
We always say we have to just ride through the storm and then we'll come out of the other side. The second goal goes in and I feel that it's game done. The lads sat back a bit, we were compact and we knew how important it was to come away with all three points. The situation, if you saw against Leeds where we were 2-0 up and then had to fight again to then try to get a draw, I was telling the lads there at the end: 'It's not going to be the same.'
On 'enjoying defending' in the pursuit of clean sheets...
A big thing we've obviously spoken about as a team, and the staff have obviously said, is that it's huge if we can come away with a clean sheet. If I look around at the lads in the team, I know that these guys are going to score and assist and help with the goals. If the guys at the back and in central midfield can run more and fight even harder to come away with a clean sheet, there's no doubt that we'll start to win more games.
As it showed there, there's obviously games where it's still hard, but if you get a clean sheet, we can come away with goals. You can say the game in Milan was luck - it's a penalty at the end of the day and we score it. Two goals there in a 2-0 game against a good team. If we keep a clean sheet then lads are going to score. That's what we have to do.
On his use of the ball…
I'm just one of them who loves to play, I just enjoy having the ball at my feet. I've obviously heard that there's criticism at times that I don't move the ball quick enough. That's just because I'm comfortable on the ball, I don't want to be in a rush and then I give a ball to a lad who is not as comfortable as me on the ball and he is kind of in a little bit of a challenge and then he gets the blame. I'd rather just take it on me and know that a lad who comes to press me is going to have to do an awful lot to take the ball off me.
I'm adapting always, I'm trying to improve all the time. I want to score more goals, I want to get more assists. In terms of the role that I play, I'm happy to be part of the team and if the gaffer picks me, he picks me. If he doesn't, he doesn't. I'm always going to be there to show that I deserve to play. That's what I'm trying at the minute.
On reaching 200 appearances for Liverpool...
It's mad. I actually had a chat with Trey [Nyoni] and Rio [Ngumoha] was there as well. I just said, 'I know you will hear it all the time from staff and family around you, about how fast it goes. But my God, it goes so fast.' If I think about my first game, Wolves away, and how fast the whole thing has changed. I can only thank the staff around me and the teammates around me who have always got the belief in me to keep me at the club and when I play, to trust that I can play in that many games.
I can only thank my mum and the family around me, who have obviously played a huge part... the times when it was taxis into training and things like that. And the environment I was obviously around as a kid, a Scouse kid, it's quite easy to take another route. But I only had one goal in my mind: that was to play at this club. And that's what I'm doing so I've got a massive smile on my face. It's 200 down - and hopefully there's many, many more to come.