Curtis Jones is no longer Liverpool’s future. He’s their present

A year has passed Curtis Jones wrote his name into the Anfield record books.

At the age of 19 years and five days, the Liverpool academy graduate became the youngest captain in the club’s history for their FA Cup replay against Shrewsbury Town.

It was a source of pride but given the fact that Jurgen Klopp’s entire first-team squad had been given a week off as a result of the Premier League’s winter break, the truth is it did not really carry much gravitas.

What the homegrown midfielder has achieved since is a great deal more significant. Over the past 12 months, he has taken the giant leap from being a promising youngster handed opportunities in domestic cup ties to being trusted by Klopp to start when the stakes are sky-high. Potential is being realised. He’s no longer the future for Liverpool, he’s the present.

His 40th appearance for the club in Tuesday’s morale-boosting triumph over RB Leipzig in the Champions…