As he speaks from the rooftop bar of a Chicago resort, Milos Kerkez, radiating enthusiasm, makes one level abundantly clear: Liverpool are decided to appropriate final season’s errors.
Earlier than addressing that, nevertheless, the personable left-back is keen to make clear one thing fully completely different.
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Following his look in an all-white go well with in a number of Instagram posts final month beside an unidentified bride, quite a few supporters started questioning whether or not the Serbian-born Hungary worldwide had spent his summer time break getting married at 22 years outdated. The fact, although, was fairly completely different. It was really his eldest brother Rade’s marriage ceremony.
-Credit score:Andrew J. Clark/ISI Photographs, ISI Photographs through Getty Pictures
“No [I never got married]! That is mistaken,” Kerkez mentioned. “Everybody will get this mistaken! It was my oldest brother. In Serbia it’s regular for the youthful brothers to take the bride to the church. That is what I did and now everybody thinks I acquired married.
“I preserve having to clarify to lots of people that I by no means acquired married. It was my oldest brother, not me. I used to be going across the membership and other people began to congratulate me. I am like: ‘No, I am not prepared for this but!’ It was not me, it was Rade. There are three of us – Rade is the oldest, I am the youngest and Marko is the center one.”
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Kerkez’s shut relationship along with his two brothers and their dad and mom, Sebastijan and Tijana, turns into evident throughout his dialogue with a number of media shops, together with the ECHO in downtown Chicago. “My household are essential,” he says.
“My brothers have their very own lives now however my dad and mom are with me and I’m a lot happier they’re with me. My mum, my dad, he’s right here to smack me generally on the highest of the pinnacle to remind me.
“Generally you play a couple of good video games and also you perhaps begin to get a bit carried away. However my dad is right here to smack me, I come straight again down and I swap straight again on. They’re essential.”
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That help system undoubtedly proved essential throughout a turbulent marketing campaign final season that noticed Arne Slot’s facet relinquish their title in disappointing trend, culminating in an underwhelming fifth-place Premier League end and the dismissal of the pinnacle coach.
“Clearly [last season] was powerful for everybody,” Kerkez admitted. “If you find yourself right here, that you must play to win issues. We had powerful moments. We had moments after we fought again after which we had powerful moments once more. It was a great expertise. You may be taught rather a lot, decide up rather a lot. It wasn’t good for our requirements however we have to enhance this yr.
“I used to be stunned [Slot was fired]. I actually did not know. I used to be again in Serbia, I used to be sleeping and my brother woke me up. He knocks on my door and it was a giant shock.
“No one knew. I could not consider it, I used to be like: ‘Wow!’ I’ve been in contact with him since, now we have exchanged a couple of messages. That is it.”
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With all the membership keen to maneuver ahead and put the difficulties of the 25/26 season firmly behind them, Kerkez is amongst those that stands to realize probably the most from Andoni Iraola’s Anfield appointment.
-Credit score:Richard Sellers/Allstar, Getty Pictures
His shows below Iraola remodeled him right into a £40 million ($54.9 million) left-back barely 12 months in the past, along with his energetic, attack-minded fashion incomes him a spot within the 2025 PFA Crew of the Season, introduced in August of final yr.
The defender is clearly thrilled to be reunited with the supervisor who gave him the platform to ascertain himself as one of the vital electrifying attacking full-backs in English soccer throughout their profitable partnership at AFC Bournemouth.
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Reflecting on Iraola’s appointment, Kerkez says: “I used to be delighted, actually. I labored for him earlier than and he helped me and improved me rather a lot within the two years that I spent with him. I used to be actually completely happy, clearly for myself but additionally for the crew. Everybody is aware of what kind of soccer he performs so I believe he’s the right match for us.
“What makes him a particular coach? The depth. It is the depth. He isn’t scared to play one-on-one all around the pitch, to press excessive and to be on the entrance foot all the time.
“When you see footage of how all of us are after coaching, all mendacity down, then you’ll be able to see what he’s making ready us for. You undoubtedly wants legs and good situation for what he desires us to do, however we shall be all proper.
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“He is very skilled. He likes to speak generally however not rather a lot. I believe perhaps he does not wish to get too near some gamers and desires to point out that everybody is similar within the crew, so he does not wish to get too near anybody particularly. He retains it skilled, with a whole lot of exhausting work.
“For instance, after we play some video games with three or 4 groups he calls it ‘penalties’ and the dropping crew and the crew that finishes second has to run. How a lot it’s important to run is determined by what he decides in that second, however there’s all the time working for the crew that loses. He is intense and he likes particulars.
“You’ll have to run 16-16 (metres, from the sting of 1 penalty space to the opposite) or 16-halfway line in seven seconds, there and again. It is all proper.
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“He all the time advised me that defending is absolutely necessary, for him that’s initially, and since you’re a full again that you must defend actually exhausting. The whole lot you are able to do in entrance of you is sort of a bonus. So I used to be all the time centered first on defending after which working ahead to assist the wingers.
“He confirmed me that if you do your job then you’re free to do what you need, so I felt actually free with him. We had a great crew. It was clearly not me, we had been taking part in rather well as a crew at the moment. He allows you to be extra free to do your stuff.
-Credit score:Robin Jones – AFC Bournemouth, AFC Bournemouth through Getty Pictures
“The blokes are doing good. The primary couple of classes, they had been getting used to it however now they’re getting higher and higher. I believe the fellows like how he works. I prefer it, they prefer it. I believe it will go well with the crew completely.”
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When Kerkez discusses Iraola and his demanding coaching regime, there’s unmistakable respect in his voice – the identical type of respect he holds for Andy Robertson, the Liverpool icon who departed the membership following 9 trophy-laden years when his contract expired this summer time.
The 22-year-old constantly referenced Robertson with deference all through their single season as teammates, and that sentiment stays unchanged now that the Scotland captain has moved to Tottenham Hotspur. However can he now replicate his former colleague’s achievements at Anfield?
“Everyone knows what Andy did for the membership, I am not working away from that,” Kerkez mentioned. “I wish to make my very own approach. I’ll work exhausting. I do know what it means to play for Liverpool. I confirmed it a bit final yr and I’m going to point out it extra this yr.
“Andy helped me rather a lot, actually. I do know, like I mentioned many instances, he is a legend. He did a whole lot of huge issues, received every little thing. He is somebody I look as much as. Clearly, I am right here. I wish to make my very own factor.
-Credit score:Naomi Baker, Getty Pictures
“When it comes to that, I wish to push and all the time give one hundred pc. It is not like I used to be held again or no matter as a result of Andy was there. Like I mentioned, he helped me rather a lot. However I simply do my very own factor. I all the time wish to compete. It does not matter who it’s. I’ll push much more this yr.
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“I did not wish to get rather a lot onto him [before he left]. He was a bit emotional as every little thing was coming to an finish. I did not wish to get onto him an excessive amount of. However like I mentioned, all year long he helped me. We had a couple of conversations concerning the crosses and about how huge lungs we have to have so we will run till tomorrow.
“He performed a whole lot of seasons, I also needs to have the identical. We had conversations like that. Additionally, the place to place the final ball, to focus, to place your head up and generally put higher crosses in. We had conversations like that.”
Kerkez discusses a ‘new technology’ at present taking form on the coaching grounds at Chicago Fireplace’s Endeavour Efficiency Centre throughout their preseason, and whereas reinforcements are clearly required within the switch window to offer Iraola with the assets wanted to reverse fortunes on Merseyside, the ex-Cherries defender is embracing the prospect to imagine higher accountability in a revamped Liverpool squad, working below a head coach he is extra acquainted with than anybody else at Anfield.
“Truthfully, I do not care about strain,” he says. “It is a regular factor that comes with the job. You play good. You play dangerous. It is course of, it is all about rising.
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“It is like I say – in case you play dangerous, in three days you might have one other recreation. Everybody goes to neglect the way you performed three days in the past. There may be all the time a brand new recreation coming after which it’s important to do great things. That is it. I do not like that strain stuff. It might be related however I do not like ‘strain’ and that stuff. I grew up a bit completely different in Serbia. We grew up in a different way. It is simply your job. Do your personal rattling job.
“Clearly it is harder, I noticed after I arrived, if you lose video games and it is not going your approach. Clearly, it is one of many greatest golf equipment on the planet so that you must do effectively however that comes with the job that we do. Clearly it was an expertise final season however we have to do rather a lot higher this yr.
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“The gaffer likes to play extra with the full-backs down the road, underlapping, overlapping. It labored effectively for me at Bournemouth so I believe it can additionally work effectively for me right here.
“Hear, to run this a lot, it’s important to be born with it a bit, to have legs. However clearly that you must work on conditioning, however I wish to run rather a lot. It is why I keep after coaching. I’ll run from one penalty space to the opposite. There and again, relaxation, then there and again once more. I’ve all the time been the type of man who has to maneuver. That is why I can carry on working.”
By the Liverpool left-back’s personal account, Iraola’s arrival at Merseyside may show to be an ideal marriage. As for an precise journey down the aisle for Kerkez himself, although? Plainly can await now.