A dream start that nobody saw coming

Jeremy Jacquet is not taking a single second for granted. The 21-year-old centre-back has hit the ground running since his £55m summer move from Stade Rennes, slotting into Liverpool's backline with a composure that has turned heads at Anfield and beyond. Three consecutive Premier League clean sheets tell their own story, and Jacquet has been right at the heart of it.

What makes this opening chapter even more remarkable is the backdrop. Jacquet has spoken openly about a career path that was anything but straightforward, admitting he has endured back and knee problems that made the journey to this point genuinely difficult. "Years of suffering, I haven't had an easy life," he said. "I have had back and knee problems." For a player still only 21, that is a sobering admission, and it gives his current form a real emotional weight.

Playing alongside a giant, and loving every minute

If there is one thing that seems to have accelerated Jacquet's development this season, it is the presence of the defender alongside him. Jacquet has been effusive about what it means to line up next to Virgil van Dijk on a matchday, describing the experience in terms that leave little room for misinterpretation. "Playing with him is fantastic," he said. "There are few defenders who have reached his level."

That kind of partnership, between an established world-class operator and a technically gifted young defender finding his feet at the top level, looks like exactly the sort of arrangement that could shape Jacquet's development for years to come. Liverpool, still unbeaten under head coach Andoni Iraola, appear to have found a centre-back pairing that functions with real conviction, and the clean sheet run suggests it is not a coincidence.

An international debut to savour

As if settling into one of European football's most demanding clubs were not enough, Jacquet also made his senior international debut during the September and October break, handed his first cap by Zinedine Zidane. He started both matches as France beat Belgium 1-0 and drew 0-0 with Italy, and the experience clearly left a deep impression.

"It's pure pleasure. I wasn't expecting so much noise in the stadium," he told Telefoot. "I used to watch the matches on TV, now I'm part of it." There is a refreshing honesty in how Jacquet speaks about all of this. He is not performing confidence, he is expressing genuine gratitude. "I don't think about it too much. I only have two caps. I take the opportunities the coach gives me and try to savour them. Because things go by so fast."

That mindset, grounded and forward-looking rather than caught up in the moment, suggests Jacquet is well-equipped to handle the pressure that comes with life at Liverpool. He is looking straight ahead, as he puts it, and on current evidence, what lies ahead looks very promising indeed.