Teenager Curtis Jones is set to captain Liverpool in their FA Cup fourth round replay against Shrewsbury Town at Anfield this evening.
With the Premier League table-toppers having allowed their first-team stars – and manager Jurgen Klopp – to take the two-week winter break, the club’s under-23 coach Neil Critchley will take charge of a team that he has described as being “under-19s, under-20s at best”.
Under those circumstances, Jones – who has seven appearances and two goals to his name for the first team – finds himself as one of the more experienced players. He also the regular captain of the under-23 side coached by Critchley.
If, as expected, he is given the armband this evening, Jones will become the youngest captain in Liverpool’s history, having only celebrated his 19th birthday last week.
The Liverpool-born forward was on the scoresheet when the Reds were held to a 2-2 draw by League One side Shrewsbury at the New Meadow last month.
