“It’s great to see” – Former World Cup winner is a huge fan of this Liverpool star

“It’s great to see” – Former World Cup winner is a huge fan of this Liverpool star Jeremy Jacquet Underlines Liverpool Promise with France Breakthrough Jeremy Jacquet is no longer a prospect flying under the radar. After a sharp, composed start to life at Liverpool, the young centre-back has now taken that form onto the international stage, and the reaction in France has been immediate. Two strong displays over the break have pushed him into a different bracket. The biggest moment came at the Stade de France against Italy. First cap or fiftieth, that stage exposes defenders quickly. Jacquet handled it well. No fuss, no panic, no wasted movement. He defended properly, read danger early and, crucially for the modern game, used the ball with authority. That final point is what keeps coming up. Jacquet does not simply clear his lines and survive. He sees passes others do not, and he has the technique to play them. For a young centre-back, that changes everything. It speeds up attacks, breaks pressure and drags opponents out of shape. Passing Range Sets Jacquet Apart Former World Cup winner Samuel Umtiti summed it up neatly when assessing the Liverpool defender for RMC Sport . “He’s a defender, he wins his duels, he’s very clean,” said the former Barcelona defender. “Of course, I loved making passes, breaking lines… I saw him do it, try things, and it’s rare these days to find defenders like that. The priority when you’re a defender is to defend well, and he did it very well. It’s great to see. “I find him quite well-rounded for his second cap. He’s young, he brings a fresh perspective, and it will be good to have this competition because Saliba will be back at some point, and Konate too.” Photo: IMAGO That is the point. Plenty of defenders can look tidy when they have time. Fewer can defend first and still play through lines under pressure. Jacquet appears able to do both. Liverpool supporters have already seen flashes of that in his first seven senior appearances. France have now seen it too. France Praise Mirrors Liverpool Form There was more praise from another World Cup winner, this time with an even bigger claim attached. “I really liked his game, which only confirms what I’ve thought of him since the start of the Premier League season,” Petit said. “He’s the one who brings out the best in Van Dijk, not the other way around. He’s a player who isn’t afraid of one-on-one situations, who reads the game very well, and who knows how to anticipate “Above all, there’s something I find very important when you work as a duo, and that’s the understanding you have with your teammate. And I have the impression that they’ve been playing together for 3-4 years now.” That may sound exaggerated, but the broader point is fair. Jacquet has settled quickly next to Virgil van Dijk, and he does not look overawed by the responsibility. If anything, he looks like a player who benefits from the pace and intensity around him. Van Dijk Partnership Could Shape Liverpool Future The line about improving Van Dijk is provocative, but chemistry matters at centre-back. Timing matters. Trust matters. If Jacquet already has that level of understanding with Liverpool’s senior defender, then the club have something serious on their hands. There is already chatter around Van Dijk’s long-term future, and that is natural when contracts start to narrow. What matters more right now is that Liverpool appear to have found a defender with the tools to anchor the next cycle. Jacquet looks aggressive enough, calm enough and technical enough. For now, the hype is earned. The test gets harder from here, as it always does. But the early evidence is clear. Jeremy Jacquet is not simply a talented young defender. He looks like a top-level centre-back in the making.