Milos Kerkez has expressed his delight at being reunited with Andoni Iraola at Liverpool, calling the former Bournemouth manager the perfect fit for the club. The Hungary international left-back, who joined Liverpool last summer, endured a difficult debut season under Arne Slot, who was sacked after winning the Premier League title in his first year.
Summer of surprises
Kerkez spent his summer in Serbia, Montenegro and Spain. He was woken by a knock on his bedroom door to learn of Slot's dismissal, and soon after discovered Iraola would be his new boss. The 22-year-old also had to clear up confusion after being photographed escorting a bride to church in his hometown of Vrbas – it was his brother Rade's wedding, not his own.
“No! This is wrong, everyone gets this wrong!” Kerkez said. “It was my oldest brother. In Serbia it is normal for the younger brothers to take the bride to the church. That's what I did and now everyone thinks I got married.”
Reunited with Iraola
Kerkez knows Iraola better than any Liverpool player after two seasons together at Bournemouth, where he developed into a £40m left-back. “I was delighted, honestly,” Kerkez said. “He helped me and improved me a lot in the two years I spent with him. I was really happy, obviously for myself but also for the team. Everyone knows what type of football he plays so I think he is the perfect fit for us.”
He highlighted Iraola's intensity and high-pressing style: “It's the intensity. He's not scared to play one-on-one all over the pitch, to press high and to be on the front foot always. If you see footage of how we all are after training, all lying down, then you can see what he is preparing us for.”
Learning from Robertson
Kerkez also credited Andy Robertson, the Liverpool legend now at Tottenham, for mentoring him during his debut season. “Throughout the year he helped me. We had a few conversations about crosses and about the big lungs we need to have so we can run until tomorrow,” Kerkez said. “We all know what Andy did for the club. I'm not running away from that. I want to make my own way.”
He remains in touch with former manager Slot: “I was surprised. I really didn't know. I was back in Serbia, I was sleeping and my brother woke me up. I have been in touch with him since, we have exchanged a few messages.”
Family support
Kerkez's parents moved to England to help him settle. His father, Sebastijan, still drives him to training occasionally. “My dad is here to smack me sometimes on the top of the head and to remind me. Sometimes you play a few good games and maybe you start to get a bit carried away. But my dad is here to smack me. I come straight back down and I switch straight back on,” Kerkez said.
The full-back is embracing the challenge of stepping out of Robertson's shadow and expects to thrive under Iraola, who encourages full-backs to get forward. “He always told me that defending is really important, for him that is first of all, and because you are a full-back you need to defend really hard. Everything you can do in front of you is like a bonus,” Kerkez explained.
