Lee Carsley drops Curtis Jones hint as Liverpool star aims to make it third time lucky
Curtis Jones has been included in Lee Carsley's final squad as England's interim manager - and could finally make his senior debut in the matches against Greece and Ireland
by Felix Keith · The MirrorLiverpool midfielder Curtis Jones could be finally handed his England debut by Lee Carsley in the upcoming matches against the Republic of Ireland and Greece.
Jones is one of three uncapped players in the squad which was announced on Thursday, alongside Southampton’s Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Newcastle’s Lewis Hall. Like them, he has worked with Carsley in the under-21s squad and could make his senior bow in the international break.
England will play Greece in Athens on November 14 before facing the Republic of Ireland on November 17 at Wembley. Jones has been in excellent form with Liverpool this season, contributing one goal and four assists in 12 appearances, and has impressed Carsley.
“Curtis is an all-round player, plays in various positions,” Carsley said. “He is a player I highly rate, he's one of the best I've worked with in terms of ability. He is showing consistency at a high level now. He can score goals, assist and is a player we've had a lot of success with in the past.”
This is Jones’ third time in an England squad, yet the 23-year-old still hasn’t made it onto the pitch in a competitive game. He made Gareth Southgate’s provisional squad for the European Championship, but was among those who were cut when the numbers dropped from 33 to 26 before the tournament kicked off.
And he was called up in October alongside Newcastle full-back Tino Livramento after Kobbie Mainoo and Morgan Gibbs-White withdrew due to injury. However, he was never available to play for Carsley’s side against Finland and Greece, withdrawing just three days later to be with his partner Saffie Khan, who gave birth to their daughter Giselle.
Jones is a true Carsley favourite, having scored the winning goal in England’s 1-0 win over Spain in the Under-21s European Championship final against Spain in the summer of 2023. He has earned 20 caps for England under-21s, scoring five goals as one of Carsley’s most prominent players.
Having settled into Arne Slot ’s midfield this season, Jones will be hoping to do something similar in the national team. “It’s one of his qualities that at this moment he can play in every position because he’s in a very good place at the moment. So comfortable on the ball, so you can trust him closer to your defence,” Slot said after Jones provided an assist in the 4-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday.
“But like we saw against Chelsea and I saw today as well, he is also able to penetrate inside the 18-yard box and give the last pass. He’s really made a step up after pre-season, and that’s why he gets his chances now because if players do well – and I have quite a lot of them at the moment – they will get their chances.”
Join our new WhatsApp communityand receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Sky Sports deal
Sky Sports launches discounted Premier League package
£46 (was £56)
Sky has slashed the price of its Sky Sports, Sky Stream, Sky TV and Netflix bundle in an unbeatable new deal that saves £240 and includes 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.