Curtis Jones made a winning start to his Inter Milan career after his new side defeated Cagliari 1-0. The midfielder made his debut for the Serie A champions on Sunday, following his £30million move from Liverpool earlier this month.
The 25-year-old played the last 25 minutes of the match after coming on for Petar Sucic. Inter had led from the ninth minute thanks to Hakan Calhanoglu's strike and managed to hold on to make it two wins from two.
Historic appearance
Jones has already written himself into Inter's history books, partly thanks to ex-Manchester City defender John Stones. The duo shared the pitch in the second half, marking the first time in Inter's history that they fielded two English players at the same time.
Inter boss Cristian Chivu was wholly complimentary of the English duo, saying after the game: "They're experienced players who are comfortable playing under pressure in certain matches. I have nothing to reproach them for their attitude, they are two exemplary guys who give everything and I'm happy to have them."
Earning a victory on your debut is always a stellar achievement, but the impact made in his cameo led to agreements being reached across the Italian media on Jones' start.
Italian media reactions
Gazzetta dello Sport praised the Englishman's ferocity, confidence and his versatility across the midfield and attack. Correspondent Philip Conticello wrote: "To understand the sheer force of personality Curtis Jones possesses, a new Inter player in the British colony, it's enough to watch him go and win his first Italian ball from a throw-in: it was the 65th minute of this Cagliari-Inter match, and he immediately showed the audacity of a talented player.
"Not surprisingly, he attempted an adventurous shot a few seconds later, which was deflected and ended up in a corner: at that moment, the rhythm needed to be broken; this exuberance and a bit of healthy experience were precisely what was required. Those born with the Liverpool red on their skin fear nothing, let alone the taunts of a match like the one in Sardinia.
"With this substitution for Sucic, the Jones era officially began: for now, only a ready-to-use reserve, but in the future, he'll likely be a starter in the midfield or even beyond. This 25-year-old Englishman has been eagerly awaited for months and paid €35 million, including bonuses, precisely because he can do almost anything: he can rev up his engine as a central midfielder, he can also push forward to support the strikers, and, if necessary, be deployed to the right flank. The more Curtis you have, the more you add."
Stats and ratings
The official website of Inter Milan described the all-action performance of Jones' 25-minute run-out at Cagliari, stating: "[The] 65th minute saw him come on for Petar Sučić, with the English midfielder immediately getting involved during a crucial phase of the game.
"[He had] 28 touches, a 93% pass completion rate, one shot and six duels: plenty of football packed into half an hour as Jones made his debut and played his part in securing the three points for Inter."
The England international was handed a 6/10 rating from Corriere della Sera, who stated his addition to the squad has only added to the strength and power the Italian champions possess. They wrote: "Towards the end, Thuram, still behind, and Jones, already in decent shape, are seen. Inter are strong and powerful, but they shouldn't be too complacent."
