Curtis Jones has shown immense self-confidence after missing a penalty against Paris Saint-Germain, insisting he “went home and slept fine.”
Having seen Liverpool’s last penalty saved against PSG, leading them to be knocked out of the Champions League, Jones could have been feeling down ahead of Sunday’s League Cup final.
Instead, however, the 24-year-old has shown a confident attitude that he hopes will help him in the long-term.
Speaking to the Athletic, Jones said: “I went home and slept fine. I see it as part of my journey.
“I’m a confident lad and I’ve got trust in myself. My attitude is that I want the team to rely on me. That comes with risk and the possibility of failure.”
As well as missing a penalty, Jones wasn’t at his best during the 30 minutes he played. The midfielder was dispossessed three times and lost seven duels, according to FotMob.
He continued: “There will be times when it’s me taking the last shot at the end of a game or picking up the ball and running at them.
“There will be times when it goes well, other times when I get caught in possession or miss a penalty, like Tuesday night.
“That comes with who I want to be. I don’t just want to be seen as a guy who coasts around in games or is happy just to be there and part of the team.
“I want to be seen as a lad who is a big part of things. I have to step up with that weight on my shoulders.
“You see all the greats around the world in sport. There are times when they succeed, times when they fail. But they are great because they do it again and again.
“You have got to be fine with missing. I’m fine if I go up there and I miss, but I’m not fine if I’m driving home knowing I was too scared to take a penalty.”
Jones is unlikely to start the League Cup final, with the trio of Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai the current established midfield.
Before leaving for England duty, he will, though, be needed from the bench as the aforementioned names tire.
After Tuesday’s heartbreak at Anfield, making an impact at Wembley would be the perfect antidote for supporters questioning Jones’ place.
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