Ex-Liverpool employee who scouted Darwin Nunez played for FA Cup rival Barnsley

Former Liverpool and Barnsley striker Lee Jones, who scored for Wrexham against West Ham in 1992 before joining the Reds, has discussed his role in scouting Darwin Nunez

Darwin Nunez signs for Liverpool FC at AXA Training Centre(Image: Getty Images)

As Liverpool prepares to host Barnsley at Anfield for the FA Cup third round on Monday, former Wales international Lee Jones will be keenly watching as two of his previous clubs go head-to-head.

The 52-year-old ex-striker spent five years with the Reds in the 1990s, but found himself playing second fiddle to the likes of Ian Rush, Robbie Fowler, and Stan Collymore. In 1997, he left for Tranmere, where he played under Liverpool legend John Aldridge, before spending two years with Barnsley at the dawn of the Millennium.

He then returned to Wrexham, his boyhood club, for a fourth stint, having initially moved to Anfield from the Welsh side in 1992.

Jones has cherished memories of the FA Cup from his playing career, having been part of the Wrexham squad that famously eliminated First Division champion Arsenal in 1992 before finding the net in the subsequent round against West Ham.

After securing a transfer to Liverpool just months later, Jones credits those memorable cup performances with paving the way for his switch to Anfield. "I've got a couple of highlights in the FA Cup," Jones told the Liverpool ECHO ahead of Monday's game.

"I was involved at Wrexham when we beat Arsenal in 1992. We were bottom of the English pyramid, 92nd in the football league, and Arsenal were the current champions, and we beat them 2-1 at the Racecourse.

Nunez won the Premier League title at Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)

"And then in the following game, I came on sub for Wrexham against West Ham and scored to equalize at 2-2. Unfortunately, we got beat 1-0 in the replay.

"But, yeah, I’ve got some good memories. I got the move to Liverpool based on the FA Cup goal against West Ham, I think. Graeme Souness came to watch me about three or four weeks later, playing for Wrexham, and then ended up signing me.

"I believe our game against West Ham was in January, and then I ended up signing in the March at Liverpool. So I must have done something quite well in between to get the move to Liverpool!"

Since retiring from playing in 2013, Jones has enjoyed an interesting career. He became assistant manager at Altrincham last October, having previously held the same position at Wealdstone. Before that, he had spells overseeing Tranmere's academy, as well as scouting roles with Burnley and Middlesbrough.

Former Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez was among the players on Jones' watchlist during his spell with the Clarets. However, while spotting talent is one challenge, persuading your club to actually secure their signature is an entirely different proposition.

“There's absolutely loads I spotted,” he recalled. “For instance, we were watching Darwin Nunez when he was at Benfica, when I was at Burnley. Tijjani Reijnders, who's now at Man City. Mohammed Kudus, who was at West Ham and is now at Tottenham.

"So there's absolutely loads that you look at when they're young. And then you see them going along their different career paths, now playing in the Premier League. You do spot some gems to be fair, but obviously at the time it's whether the club can afford them and whether the player actually wants to come to Burnley, as it was, or Middlesbrough."

Click HERE to read the full interview with Lee Jones.