Premier League and French Icon Thierry Henry has been speaking about Jeremy Jacquet's start to life at Anfield and how he tried to call the defender up for a U21 squad earlier in his career.
One of Liverpool's shining lights so far this season has been Jeremy Jacquet. Signed from Ligue 1 side Rennes, the centre-half has been the Reds' standout performer this season, immediately coming in to replace the outgoing Ibrahima Konate and ensuring it has been a seamless transition from one French defender to the next.
Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY SportsHighly thought of when coming through the Rennes youth system, Jacquet made his debut for the Ligue 1 club at 19, coming on as a substitute in a 2-0 win against Nice.
He would then go out on loan to fellow top division side Clermont Foot, and would play outstandingly, so much so that his parent club would pay to recall him early in order to place their up-and-coming central defender straight in the first team, with Jacquet signing a new contract until 2029 at the same time.
This allowed the now 21-year-old to excel in a less high-profile top division, and he was quickly catching the attention of not only clubs from around Europe, but also his national side, France.
Appearing at the Under 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 and now senior level, Jeremy Jacquet has been a product of the French national team system from a very young age.
REUTERS/Omar HavanaAnd this has allowed him to learn from some of the best youth coaches in his home nation, while also being surrounded by the support he needs in order to maximise his development.
Thierry Henry 'Wanted' To Call Jacquet Up For His U21 Side
A coach that Liverpool's summer recruit never had the opportunity to work with was Premier League icon and France legend Thierry Henry.
In a recent interview, Henry explained that he wanted to call Jacquet up for his U21 side when he was selecting his squad for fixtures back in the 2023/24 season, but was unable to after Jacquet made himself unavailable to the head coach.
“When I was the coach of the Under-21s I wanted to call him up, he was only 16 or 17, but he didn’t come because he had to take his exams.
“As much as he concentrated on football, he was also concentrating on getting his degrees. He’s very on-point in his head, and his family knows what he needs to do and how he can be successful."
The former Arsenal and Barcelona winger would go on to compliment Jacquet's ability to deal with the pressure and expectation at the Reds, citing the experience of Virgil van Dijk as a big reason why Liverpool's number five has settled into life on Merseyside and the Premier League as a whole so quickly.
REUTERS/Marko Djurica“People told me that he has always been seen as ‘the guy’, but it doesn’t always work that way. Many times I’ve seen players who were ‘the guy’ at that age turn out not to be the guy, while sometimes it does go the other way.
“You can see that he already understands what he needs to do, especially in the physical part of the game. It also helps if you play alongside Virgil.
“But am I surprised with him dealing with the level of expectation? No, not really, because he was always in that situation in the youth system in France.”
Author's Verdict
The praise that Jeremy Jacquet has been receiving is fully justified, and to get it from a player with the stature in the game and in French football like Thierry Henry emphasises that.
It is also clear that the young defender has a mature head on his shoulders, and with a strong support network around him via his family, he has the potential to reach the very top of his game with Liverpool.
