Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders has sent a clear message to England manager Gareth Southgate regarding one of their players.
Southgate will now be planning for the upcoming Euro 2024 tournament in Germany, as he looks to name his 23-man England squad in the coming months.
While the likes of Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Declan Rice have likely already secured their spots in the team, a number of positions are still up for grabs for Southgate to consider.
Advert
One of which being the final spot in midfield with the likes of Jordan Henderson and Kalvin Phillips not guaranteed their usual role in the squad. Henderson has only recently secured a move back to Europe with Ajax after an unsuccessful stint in the Saudi Pro League, while Phillips has started just two Premier League games since joining Manchester City in 2022.
A number of players could be in line to challenge both Phillips and Henderson for their roles in the Three Lions squad, with Liverpool assistant Lijnders tipping Curtis Jones to fill the role this summer.
"It is a no brainer," said Lijnders, at his pre-match press conference ahead of Wednesday's Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Fulham.
Advert
"You have eyes, no? If you are top of the league and one of the most decisive players in the team, the player who with and without the ball sets the tone and takes the initiative and always shows up, then."
Liverpool invested heavily within their midfield last summer as Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch all arrived through the door.
However, it is their homegrown talent Jones who has arguably been one of their finest players during the 2023/24 campaign.
Advert
The England U21 international has started 15 games across all competitions, scoring four goals and adding three assists.
He has 51 caps within the international youth set up and could now be set for a call-up to the senior team team after impressing in Jurgen Klopp's side.
Featured Image Credit: GettyTopics: Curtis Jones, England, Gareth Southgate, Liverpool, Premier League, Football