Curtis Jones has clarified his comments about being 'happiest' under Arne Slot, explaining how he 'loves' Jurgen Klopp and was misunderstood.
The Liverpool star last week waxed lyrical about new boss Slot and claimed he was happier than he had ever been with a play style that suits him.
Now he has brushed away claims he was disrespecting Klopp by revealing how much the German has meant for him and his career.
'The principles are always the same; we want to work hard, press, dominate teams. That’s what I think came across a little bit wrong,' he told The Redmen TV after Liverpool's 2-1 pre-season win over Arsenal.
'I’d like to say now on this, I’ve seen things that it seemed like I was disrespectful in a way. But Jurgen knows I’d never be that kid. He knows how much I love him, that I love all of his staff.
Curtis Jones has explained that he 'loves' Jurgen Klopp and meant no disrespect saying he was happier under Arne Slot
The midfielder said last week that Slot's style of play fits him and his team-mates well
'It was just me saying that how I’m going to play now is a little bit of a change.
'He’s given me the platform and belief in myself to know I’m a kid who can step up as well, I’m not just a kid who’s just a squad lad, I can really be counted on. I don't want to take away anything from him and get that across.
'How many games have I played? It's all because of him. There were times when I was being told I need to go out on loan, or I might need to leave the club.
'And he was the man, he's stuck there the whole time.'
He added: 'I didn't mean any harm and he knows how much love I've got for him and the whole of his staff.'
Jones is hoping to nail down a consistent place in Slot's starting XI, something he never quite managed under Klopp.
He is now 133 appearances into his Reds career after debuting in 2019 but 24 Premier League outings remains the most he has managed in any one season.
Speaking last week, he said: 'This is the happiest I have been.
Klopp gave Jones his Liverpool debut in 2019 but he has never escaped from a bit-part role
Slot saw his Liverpool team record an encouraging 2-1 pre-season win over Arsenal
Mo Salah opened the scoring for the Reds at the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia
Fabio Carvalho found the net of the net as he auditioned for a place in Slot's set-up
‘Arne is amazing. It is probably the happiest I have been. In terms of a style of play, it suits us and the lads we have. It is a clear plan. He is fully involved in the training, coaches us a lot, he’s big on the finer details.
‘My way of playing has always been a kid who wants to get on the ball and play, help the team, be comfortable on the ball. I then came around a team with world-class lads on the wing and up front. I felt like the centre midfielders were more disciplined runners.
‘Of course, the principles are the same but now the midfielders are going to be the heart of the team. In terms of our build-up and being comfortable on the ball, we have to be more calm and play more as a team.
‘We’re not in a rush to attack. We want to have the ball and break teams down. I feel more in the past, it was like a rush. We got the ball back. It was a bit too direct I’d say. Arne wants us to get the ball down and completely kill teams.
‘He’s got a certain way of playing and he knows it’s going to take a little bit of time as it’s a big change, but he and his staff are chilled about it. They know there is quality out there and we still have lads coming back.’
It has been a solid start for Slot, with Liverpool posting a 1-0 win over Real Betis before following up by beating Arsenal 2-1 in Philadelphia.
Mohamed Salah put Liverpool ahead and Fabio Carvalho doubled the lead before Kai Havertz pulled one back for Arsenal, who failed to find an equaliser.
Harvey Elliott was the star man for the Reds with two assists from midfield, scoring an eight in Mail Sport's player ratings from the Lincoln Financial Field.
