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Jeremy Jacquet 'worry' claim made as Liverpool hero makes Florian Wirtz comparison Jason McAteer voiced his concern that Jeremy Jacquet may struggle adjusting to English football after coming over to Liverpool in a $81 million transfer from Rennes Jason McAteer expressed concern that Jeremy Jacquet may struggle to cope with the pressure of playing for Liverpool as the 21-year-old geared up for his Anfield debut. On Sunday, Jacquet received the starting nod in Liverpool’s final warm-up match against Serie A club Como. The defender hasn’t featured in any of the Reds’ friendlies since coming over in a $81 million transfer from Rennes, having officially joined the squad last month after agreeing to the move in February. Before Jacquet took the pitch for the first time at Anfield, McAteer questioned if he had what it takes to succeed in the Premier League. The Frenchman made just 33 appearances for Rennes' senior side, with 31 of those coming in Ligue 1. “The worry for me is we’ve got Jacquet and [Ronald] Araujo,” McAteer began. “Araujo’s come from Barcelona, he’s played in big games. Barcelona is a massive club, as big as Liverpool. He’s suited to that environment, he’s been in that environment. You could throw him in at Man United away and he’d be used to it. “Jacquet, I get a little bit worried, first season from the French league, young, can you cope with that pressure? There are players who haven’t.” For evidence, McAteer pointed to Florian Wirtz’s struggles during the early stages of his Liverpool tenure. Upon arriving from Bayer Leverkusen for a reported $157 million, he recorded no goals and only one assist over his first nine appearances with the Reds. “Look at Wirtz, he’s catching up now, but I thought he was a slow starter,” McAteer added. “[Jeremie] Frimpong was a slow starter. I don’t know which way it’s gonna go, who’s gonna be the preferred center-half, he could switch it up.” Jacquet’s transition to English football has been made all the more difficult due to a series of health setbacks. Back in February, he suffered a serious left shoulder injury that required surgery. While recovering with Liverpool in July, Jacquet sustained a minor knee issue that further slowed his return to full training. Jacquet, to his credit, isn’t running away from the challenge of playing for a historic club like Liverpool. "My agent told me there were two choices: either go to a mid-table club or skip the step altogether,” he said back in May. “Initially, we were leaning towards a mid-table club. But then I told him: 'If the biggest clubs in Europe are interested, we're not going to turn them down. They're there for a reason.' "I spoke with the management; the club's history weighed heavily on my decision, but so did the project they offered me. "Promising young players command quite high prices and of course, that adds pressure: am I worth that price or not? "I think I have the minimum resources to go there. I'm going there to play as much as possible."