New Liverpool signing Jeremy Jacquet has declared himself fully fit for pre-season after undergoing shoulder surgery, and outlined his ambition to add more trophies to the club's illustrious history. The 20-year-old centre-back, who completed a £60million move from Rennes in January, spoke about his recovery and what he can bring to Andoni Iraola's squad.
Jacquet's First Impressions at Liverpool
Jacquet said a tour of the AXA Training Centre left him inspired. "I saw all the cups and trophies, just how many there are, and I thought 'wow, I really want to be part of the history of this club'," he said. "I was just thinking that I want to bring back many more of them."
The defender's move was confirmed in January after Liverpool beat Chelsea to his signature. However, a shoulder injury suffered days after the announcement required surgery and ended his season early. His rehabilitation has allowed him to study Liverpool's past and present. "I watched a lot of videos, especially the recent ones, to try and see stuff like what goes on during training and to look back at the club's history," he said. "Even if I don't know everything yet, I'm going to get up to speed soon."
Recovery and Fitness Update
Jacquet is confident he will take full part in pre-season, with Liverpool returning to Kirkby in less than two weeks before a three-game US tour. "My shoulder is much better now, and as part of my rehab, I'm now back out on the grass on my own," he said. "The surgeon has given me the go-ahead to start training with the group again, but unfortunately it was preferred to just hold off on that. And so now, this summer, I'm going to do everything I can to come back here 100% fit. I will be 100% fit in time for next season, for sure."
Playing Style and Leadership
Jacquet described his playing style as athletic and composed. "I'm quite an athletic player, and they say I'm pretty quick despite being so tall," he said. "I think I'm decent playing out from the back, and I am quite calm and composed on the pitch." Having captained France U19 and U20 teams, he expects to bring leadership gradually. "I think I can bring that kind of leadership gradually. It's something that will happen naturally by itself. I am pretty talkative on the pitch, even if I am quite reserved off it. On the field that will evolve naturally."
Competition and Learning from Van Dijk
Jacquet will join a centre-back pool including Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, and Giovanni Leoni. Of working alongside Van Dijk, he said: "Of course, I am very excited to be next to a great player like him. I think he is up there with the best centre-backs in the world currently, so I can only learn from him. I don't like to use the word 'idol', not even for the best players I admire, but naturally he's a player I look up to. For me, he is one of the best central defenders, and if I want to reach the very top, I've got to absorb as much as I can from him, obviously."
Improving on Last Season
Jacquet is focused on helping Liverpool improve after a disappointing season that saw Arne Slot sacked. "I have been following the Liverpool season almost since the start of (last) season," said the Frenchman. "But I know that things are going to go better next season, without a shadow of a doubt."
