Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones had a memorable debut by scoring in England’s 3-0 victory over Greece, becoming the first Liverpool player to score on his debut for the Three Lions since Sammy Lee in 1982

Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones made a memorable debut, scoring in England’s 3-0 win over Greece, becoming the first Liverpool player to score on his England debut since Sammy Lee in 1982.

In Athens on Thursday night, Curtis Jones put in an impressive performance on his England debut, helping the Three Lions to a 3-0 win over hosts Greece in the UEFA Nations League. The performance not only helped the Three Lions regain top spot in the group, but also marked a memorable milestone in English football history.

In an interesting twist, Jones has repeated the feat of his predecessor Sammy Lee 42 years ago. On 17 November 1982, Lee also scored on his England debut – also against Greece and also in a 3-0 win. What’s even more special is that both scored the third goal of the match.

In 81 touches, the 23-year-old midfielder showed excellent form with a pass accuracy rate of up to 96% (65/68 passes). He also won 7/10 duels, made 7 recoveries and successfully tackled 4 times. The highlight was a beautiful goal after an assist from Morgan Gibbs-White, when Jones skillfully backheeled past goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos.

Manager Lee Carsley was very pleased with this performance: “Curtis Jones is an excellent player. He played very well, even though he didn’t necessarily have to score. With that goal, it was a great performance. People were worried about the lack of experience in the squad, but these players are all playing at a very high level at their clubs”.

Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard also spoke out on Instagram, saying the FA was too slow in calling Jones up: “He’s a fantastic player. The FA and the coaches should be punished for calling him up so late.”

After the match, Jones happily shared: “I tried my best and was delighted to score! I was able to move flexibly to receive the ball and coordinate.”

Coach Carsley also said the team was on the right track but remained cautious: “We won’t get too excited, because there’s an important game on Sunday at Wembley. It’s important that the players perform to the best of their ability. We have a lot of outstanding talent.”

England will continue their journey in the UEFA Nations League with a match against Ireland in the early hours of Monday morning. With an impressive performance in his debut, Curtis Jones has a great chance to become an important part of the Three Lions’ plans in the future.