Liverpool’s Jeremy Jacquet scores on debut after five-month injury layoff

Jérémy Jacquet, the 21-year-old French defender Liverpool paid roughly £60 million to acquire from Stade Rennais, has scored on his debut for the club. That alone would be noteworthy. The fact that he did it after spending five months on the sidelines recovering from shoulder surgery makes it the kind of moment that turns transfer gambles into vindication stories. Liverpool’s summer 2026 signing had been waiting for this. A severe shoulder injury sustained during a Ligue 1 match against Lens back in February 2026 threatened to delay the entire transfer, and it certainly delayed his integration into the squad. But Jacquet, who completed his move and signed a contract through 2031, put the rehab behind him and announced himself in the most emphatic way a centre-back can: by finding the net. From Rennes to Anfield, the long way around Jacquet’s path to Liverpool was never going to be straightforward. Born on July 13, 2005, the 6’2″ defender rose through the Rennes academy and made 31 Ligue 1 appearances for the club without scoring. A loan spell at Clermont proved more productive, yielding two goals across 23 appearances and showcasing the attacking instincts that scouts had flagged i...