Interview'It's extra-special' - Elliott and Jones on close bonds, personal progress and LFC ambitions

In a joint interview with Liverpoolfc.com ahead of Wednesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Fulham, the midfield duo spoke at length about the close bonds that exist throughout the Reds’ dressing room, and discussed their own personal friendship.

“It’s extra-special,” said Elliott. “Doing it with not only world-class players at an amazing club, but with friends, players who are so close in your life.

“I keep in contact with them every single day, and even if we were to go off on different journeys, I feel like that friendship would still be there.”

Jones added: “I go back to the first time I came around the team, I was a young lad, hungry, and for three or four years it was game after game, and I could feel that the lads always knew that each game was really important because of the position we were always in.

“I feel it’s the same now. It’s a younger team – I feel like I’m one of the more experienced ones, and I’m 22! – but I feel it’s a team full of lads who are just really, really close, and I’d actually say mates.”

He continued: “I’m sat here with Harvey, who is one of my best mates, but I could be sat here with Trent [Alexander-Arnold], Dom [Szoboszlai], Cody [Gakpo], Ryan [Gravenberch], Kostas [Tsimikas]... I could name near-enough the whole team as a friend in different ways.”

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Elliott and Jones have become particularly close in recent years, with both having worked hard to establish themselves within Jürgen Klopp’s side, while also featuring together at England U21 level.

“It goes back a while,” said Elliott of the pair’s friendship. “We have come through together, and ever since I first walked through the door he’s been by my side. We’ve kind of experienced it all together.”

Jones said: “Of course we’re teammates, but off the pitch as well we are very close. If I’m going anywhere, I’ll always text Harv, and he’s the same if he’s going out anywhere, he’ll always check in with me. It’s a close bond.”

Both players, too, have played key roles for the Reds this season, making 46 appearances between them and contributing a number of key moments as Klopp’s squad have worked their way into good positions in the Premier League, Europa League, Emirates FA Cup and Carabao Cup.

Asked to sum up each other’s contributions, Jones said: “I think I saw [Jamie] Carragher saying about him being a super-sub, that’s good and Harvey has influenced games off the bench, but he is one of those that the more he plays, the better he becomes, whether that’s starting or off the bench.

“In his mind now, the more starts he gets, the better he will play. Mo [Salah] has gone as well [to the Africa Cup of Nations], so the right-hand side has opened up even more for him.

“Now he’s able to play as a half-space No.8 or off the right, he can play on the left, he can play as a No.10, he’s a gifted lad and he’s shown that definitely.”

On Jones’ form, Elliott said: “I think he’s brought a whole new dynamic to the team. To go into the team is one thing, but to establish yourself and cement your place is another and week in, week out he’s performed to the best of his ability. He’s cemented his spot and shown not only us, who know his talent, but the world as well.

“He’s affecting games in many ways. Cody said it in an interview the other day, the guy works so, so hard off the pitch, and not many people can see it, but I think in his performances it shows.

“The whole of Liverpool is so proud of him, and hopefully he can keep going and playing the way he is.”

Jones himself believes that, at 22 and with more than 100 senior appearances under his belt, he has reached a point now where he can begin to demand even more from himself.

“I feel this is the main time that I’ve had a real run of games and I’ve really taken a chance,” he said. “I’ve been around the team since I was 17 or 18, so it’s been a long, long time.

“It’s been up and down but I feel that this is the time I feel, I don’t want to say established because there’s still a long way to go, but I feel that this is the time I’ve really shown what I can do, and I’m in a position that I’ve not been in [before] now.

“I’m grateful every time I'm out on the pitch but I am at a point now where I want to be scoring more goals, assisting more and helping the team a lot more.”

Both Jones and Elliott will hope to be involved against Fulham on Wednesday as Liverpool look to take a step closer to a Wembley final, and build on what has been an encouraging first half of the campaign.

“Now more than ever, we have that belief,” Elliott said. “We got off to a very good start, even though circumstances in games weren’t really going our way, and I think now we have that belief within us.

“And as a club as well, the fans are always behind us the whole way. Wherever we go in the world, the support we get is unbelievable and we want to give it back and achieve things for them, and create history for this amazing club.

“I think we have all the tools to do it, it’s just down to us to make sure we keep pushing. We can’t think too far ahead, we need to just take it game by game and get the wins.

“Then if it comes to it at the end of the season, why not go for it all?”

Jones finished: “I think it would be really, really special [to win something with this team], and I think we’ve got a really good chance. We’ll see at the end of the season.”