PRIDE & BOY
Klopp hails ‘unbelievable’ teenager after stunning winner
JURGEN KLOPP expressed his pride and joy at an incredible display from his young Liverpool players, who he claimed are ready for the first team.
Chief among them was 18-year-old local boy Curtis Jones, who capped a man-of-the-match derby display with a stunning winner.
And Klopp predicted the midfielder will be part of the Reds first team for
years to come. “It was an absolutely sensational goal, I love it,” said Klopp.
“I don’t know why people haven’t asked me about Pedro Chirivella, about Neco Williams, about Yasser Larouci. They were all outstanding. But let me speak about Curtis. Unbelievable player, Scouser, very confident, can’t wait to play in the first team.
“I’ve known him for three and a half years and he has made big steps – he will 100 per cent be a Liverpool player if nothing strange happens.
“I’m not surprised he scored that kind of goal. He has things to learn, but you sometimes forget he’s only 18. Unbelievable.”
Klopp made nine changes to the side who beat Sheffield United in the last game, while Everton had their strongest team. Even the bookies made the Toffees favourite to win at Anfield for the first time in 20 years, but after a shaky first half what was not even a Liverpool second team controlled the game.
Klopp added: “Let’s start with a negative. Milner has pain and that is serious. It’s a muscle injury. But all the rest of this night was perfect.
“It made me really proud and I told the boys they have to be proud of that performance.”
Carlo Ancelotti had harsh words for his Everton flops, saying: “In the second half we were not good enough. I am going to speak to them and tell them that.
“We were not able to raise the right idea on the pitch, as we did in first half. It was not good enough that we lost our intensity in our play, and we didn’t create enough opportunities up front.
“We lost our confidence.”