InterviewWhy Curtis Jones feels he has 'a point to prove' this season

The No.17's preparations for 2022-23 began on Sunday when he arrived in Bangkok for the first leg of Liverpool's pre-season tour of Asia.

Appearing 27 times as Jürgen Klopp's side completed a domestic double last term, the Scouser is looking to continue making more giant strides in his development.

• Watch every Liverpool pre-season game live and exclusive on LFCTV GO (T&Cs apply). Subscribe at liverpoolfc.com/watch before July 12 and get your first two weeks free

"I see that every time that I'm here or [with] any chance that I get," the 21-year-old told Liverpoolfc.com. "So game after game or season after season is big.

"I'm ready now and I do think I have a bit of a point to prove.

"[Last season] was up and down. There were games when I played and played well, got a couple of goals and a couple of assists. Of course, I want to add to that.

"But then I was injured with the eye for five-and-a-half weeks and then I came back and got COVID and then picked up a smaller knock as well.

"It was up and down but now I'm ready."

Detailing his aims for the season ahead, Jones continued: "The big one, of course, is trophies.

"Since I've been around the team, I've always been in semi-finals, finals and winning things, and last season we were in all four – it's perfect, I'd like that again.

"And on a personal note, to go in the team, take my chance, keep my place in the team and, of course, score and assist more goals."

Jones began gearing up for the new campaign long before his arrival in the Thai capital, often posting his off-season workouts on social media.

"I'm always working, I'm non-stop," the midfielder said. "That's more just me, from being a kid.

"Since I've been young, I've always had a ball and I'm just non-stop. So now that I'm away and you're trying to switch off, there's times where you just get bored so you end up finding yourself in the gym or on a pitch or something. That was just me."

Liverpool's options this season have been bolstered by the arrivals of Darwin Nunez, Calvin Ramsay and Fabio Carvalho.

The latter has the flexibility to play in a forward or midfield role, with Jones welcoming more options in the centre of the pitch.

He analysed: "It's competition in midfield but I don't see it as that. I see him more as a teammate – kind of I help him and he helps me and then Hendo helps us or Thiago helps us.

"It's competition in terms of a space but at the same time, it's like a friendly thing. There's no sort of, 'Ah, he's playing and I'm not and then I need to completely push him out of the way.'

"It is that a little bit, of course, because you want to go out there and go and play, but I think the competition is alright and it's just a teammate thing."

Switching to the short-term focus, Jones is now gearing up for the Reds' first friendly of the summer.

Klopp's men begin with the test of Manchester United at Rajamangala Stadium on Tuesday.

"It's absolutely perfect to start with," Jones finished. "For a team like us and [with] a coaching staff that we have, we don't see it as just a game [where] you can get fit. You're going out there as if it's like a final.

"OK, the lads have only just come back now but it's a big game in front of loads of fans and the rivalry is there. So we'll go out there and give them a good game."