Jeremy Jacquet message about Liverpool game-time is exactly what Reds fans will love to hear | OneFootball

Jeremy Jacquet has given Liverpool fans an early indication as to his mentality in an interview to French media ahead of his move to Merseyside.

At the end of the winter transfer window, the Reds agreed a £60m deal to sign the defender from Rennes, with the 20-year-old staying at the Ligue 1 club for the remainder of the season before coming to Anfield in the summer.

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His 2025/26 campaign was prematurely cut short by a serious shoulder injury, but it’s now emerged that he’s on track to be fit for the start of pre-season training with his new club, which should have him nicely primed to hit the ground running once the Premier League recommences in August.

Jacquet determined to ‘play as much as possible’ for Liverpool

Many external observers might assume that Jacquet is coming to Liverpool as backup to Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate (pending him signing a contract extension), although the new arrival has been overt about his determination to play his way into the starting XI on a regular basis.

In an interview with Ouest-France, he spoke of his intention to ‘play as much as possible’ and rejected the idea that he’d sought assurances over game-time before signing for the Reds, saying: ‘For me, a player shouldn’t need that. He has to prove himself on the pitch.’

The 20-year-old further underlined his self-belief by adding: ‘I know my potential. I want to play my football and enjoy the moment. I’m going to follow my own path. I don’t know how it will end, but I think I’m off to a good start. I have no doubt that things will go well.’

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Jacquet seems to be loaded with self-belief

Jacquet’s comments are sure to resonate very positively with Liverpool fans, with the new arrival not content to merely play second fiddle to more experienced teammates, but also conscious that game-time is something to be earned rather than gifted.

There’s no false modesty about his career progression thus far, either. The French youngster is well aware of the terrific impression that he made at Rennes and backing himself to reach a high ceiling in the coming years as he matures from a future prospect to a seasoned starter.

The Reds’ centre-back options could see a significant changing of the guard in the near future, with Konate’s contract situation still to be resolved and Van Dijk entering the final year of his deal (at the end of which he’ll be almost 36).

Jacquet will duly realise that, even if he doesn’t get into the starting XI straight away, there’s an opportunity coming down the line for him to do so if he makes the most of whatever game-time he’s afforded at Liverpool next season.

His remarks in this interview suggest that he’s a strong-willed, self-confident character, yet not so arrogant as to expect an automatic passage into the first XI purely because of his transfer fee and potential.