Curtis Jones has no doubts that Inter have what it takes to challenge on all fronts this season, and insists that the ‘gap isn’t that far away’ between the Nerazzurri and the Champions League trophy: ‘I just feel that the team has what it takes’.
The former Liverpool midfielder spoke in-depth about his journey with Inter thus far in an interview with DAZN, which was released on Friday.
Jones on start to life in Italy, his best characteristics and Inter’s Champions League hopes
Inter sit at the top of the Serie A standings after seven matches: Jones has earned one start in the league so far, missing the last two with an adductor injury. He has made it clear that scoring his first Nerazzurri goal is the first thing he wants to tick off upon his return to action.
“I just want to score, whether it’s like that or a tap-in [after being shown a clip of his first goal for Liverpool against Everton, a screamer from outside the penalty area].
“A goal’s a goal and I just want to help the team. I want to show the fans that I can help the team challenge for the Champions League, win the league again.”
Jones’s former Liverpool teammate Alexander Isak described him as the most underrated player he has played alongside.
In response, Jones said: “It’s nice, yes. It’s a compliment as well. It’s not only him who’s said that it’s been said by lads in the past that I’ve played with, so it’s good that there are teammates of mine who appreciate me. There’s things that I do on the pitch that teammates will understand that fans might not.
“I get now that the game now is all about stats and goals and assists and I know I might not score as much as certain lads, but there’s a lot of things I do on the pitch that teammates and fans appreciate.”
Jones was part of a Liverpool side that beat Inter in San Siro in the Champions League in the season before he transferred between the two clubs.
“When I played against them in the Champions League and we won the game, I saw the connection between the players and the fans,” Jones recalled.
“Liverpool and I have always had that same thing because I’m a scouser and I’ve always had that connection with the fans and I’ve always said that it feels like the 12th man on the pitch and I feel that these fans and this team have the exact same thing, so it was an easy choice.”
And how has he found life in Milan so far?
“It’s different but I love it as well,” he replied. “The family are settled, that’s the important thing. I came into a team where the fans, the players, the staff are all great so I feel at home. I don’t feel like I’m a new lad, I feel like I’ve been here a long time.
“I don’t think there’s a huge change [between Serie A and the Premier League]. I feel the perspective of the league is that it’s a slower league and that the standard is not as high.
“I can agree to an extent in terms of that the games are more slower in a way in, because of the way teams will play against teams like us, but at Liverpool it was exactly the same: One of the best teams in the league, so I don’t think other teams are going to come and try press us, they’re going to sit in a low block and make it difficult for us.”
And what does he think he brings to the Inter midfield?
“Energy and calmness as well. I’m a lad who wants to go and take risks as well. At the same time, I think it’s fine for lads who want to go and drop and play in a back line and never get pressed, but I rarely want to be that lad, I want to play in the middle of the park, get on the ball, I want to try and assist, I want to try and score goals.
“There will be times where I take a risk and it doesn’t work, but I want to bring an energy where I can go and help and excite the fans as well. We want to go and win the league here but we want to go and win the Champions League and I think you have to bring a different type of energy and experience as well.
“You’ve obviously got John [Stones] who’s been part of that, you’ve got me who’s been part of that, you’ve got Djed [Spence] who’s played as well. So it’s the experience as well.”
Jones made it clear that he thinks Inter have what it takes to go all the way in the Champions League this season.
“Yes, 100%,” he said. “If you have a look at the lads around in terms of the quality, the individuals who can go and score goals, assist, create, I feel that there’s that team bond and the energy around the place as well.
“We play against teams and if a team scores, we don’t get panicked, we don’t get scared. The fanbase is great as well so obviously that’s a huge help. I just feel that the team has what it takes, I would never join a team that I didn’t think had that.
“I don’t think there’s anything in the team where I’d look around and say ‘we need to change this, we need to change that’, of course there’s going to be small things, but I don’t think the gap is far away.”