Jones: My goal is to stay fit and contribute for the rest of the season

Curtis Jones has opened up on dealing with the frustration of injuries which has halted his progress to become a first team regular.

The 21 year-old midfielder has had the misfortune of suffering from a freak eye injury suffered in training and then when he recovered from that issue, he had to deal with a stress response of the bone.

In the last two seasons, he has been restricted to 35 appearances in all competitions with just 20 of them coming in the Premier League and one goal.

Speaking to the Official site, Jones says that he doesn’t feel like he has been injury prone it is just circumstances that have not fallen his way in recent times.

“Yeah, 100 per cent. As a young kid, I've always been a kid who has never really had injuries. I can't really think back to an injury or a time where I'd been struggling. So, yeah, this season and last, I've not been injured a lot, but it just seems like it's been a long time because of the injuries I have had.

Last season was the time when I got poked in the eye and you don't really hear of that, getting poked in the eye in training to where I wasn't able to actually see for like four days, and then that took eight weeks to clear. Now I've had a stress response, which a specialist has said that you don't see a lot, especially coming back. 

“Now I'm just at the point of where I'm fit again, I'm back on the pitch and I'm able now to play games and be involved in games. It's just a chance now to get my game time and rhythm back. So, I'm really excited.

Just like all Liverpool fans, Jones is also excited by the arrival of Cody Gakpo to the club and says that they have already developed a close bond.

“We've spent a lot of time around each other. We sit by each other inside the changing rooms. He's been a kid that I've clicked well with. You know I've got friends that I've played with at England that are at his team – PSV. So, I've heard things about him that I like as well. He's great kid, a humble kid – the full package is there for him. He's an exciting player but at the same time he's a great guy as well.

“He's young but he's experienced – he's been at the World Cup, he's scored goals and he's been a key player. So he's coming in here now and he's showing that as well in training. I wish him all the best and I think he'll be a big, big part of the team; we definitely need him.”

Jones knows that competition comes with being part of a big squad but he is wholly motivated in playing his role in assisting the side.

"I'm battling against people on the left, as an eight, as a six and on the right with the likes of Mo and things like that. So, I'm battling for a place in the team.

“My goal now is to get myself 100 per cent fit and stay fit for the rest of the season. I want to come in and help the team as much as I can. If that's with goals [or] if that's with assists, great. But if that's just being a key player in terms of availability and helping the team as much as I can, I'll do that."