Milos Kerkez: Ready for Premier League Intensity Under Iraola
Milos Kerkez walked off the Anfield pitch with tired legs and a wide grin. Ninety minutes in the tank, a clean sheet on the board, and a familiar voice back in his ear.
Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Como to close out pre-season was routine on the scoreboard. For Kerkez, it felt like a restart.
Back under Iraola – and unleashed
The Hungarian left-back arrived at Anfield last summer for £40m from Bournemouth and lived through a stop-start first campaign under Arne Slot. Now he finds himself back under the coach who first unlocked him on the south coast, and the contrast could hardly be sharper.
“It's a big difference, obviously,” Kerkez said, asked how life under Andoni Iraola compares. You didn’t need the quote to see it. You could see it in his running.
Liverpool’s shape stretched and snapped forward, full-backs racing high, midfielders chasing, forwards hunting in packs. This is Iraola football: aggressive, relentless, uncomfortable for anyone trying to play through it.
“We play really aggressive. We need to run a lot more,” Kerkez explained. “It is good. It is tough, but if you want to compete at the top, you need to do that in the Champions League, the Premier League.”
At Bournemouth, Iraola had already given him licence to charge the flank. At Liverpool, with more of the ball and higher stakes, that licence feels supercharged.
“You can see I have more freedom to fly up and down. I'm really running more, with more freedom, putting more balls into boxes,” he said. “The manager gave me confidence when I was in Bournemouth. We all have to do what he tells us to do. Play aggressive, front-foot, so we need to continue.”
The message is simple. The demands are not.
Legs burning, mind clear
Against Como, Kerkez finally went the distance.
“Today is the first time playing 90 minutes,” he admitted. “I felt a bit in the legs at, I would say 70, 70-something minutes, but it's good to get the whole 90 minutes today.”
That late-game fatigue is part of the plan. Iraola wants his players at full Premier League intensity before the real thing starts. Kerkez knows why.
“A lot of guys needed 90 today. Need to be ready for Premier League intensity next week. You know how it is, especially Newcastle away, so it was good that a lot of guys got 90 minutes, definitely.”
The 2-0 scoreline mattered less than the rhythm. Still, Liverpool ticked off a few important boxes: goals, minutes, and a clean sheet.
“We needed to get the win today, to get that positive mentality going into the next week,” Kerkez said. “So, we did good, clean sheet - good for the defenders - and, yeah, we're happy.”
Happy, but not satisfied. The left-back was quick to highlight what still needs sharpening.
“We have still some work to do to be more defensively set up. More help from the wingers, but it's going to come next week.”
Eyes on Newcastle – and a very different feeling
The countdown is on. Liverpool open their Premier League campaign away to Newcastle United on Sunday, a fixture Kerkez knows well from both sides of the divide.
“I can remember last season how it was,” he said. “Big difference for me when you play like Bournemouth at Newcastle and Liverpool at Newcastle, so I can't wait, really. I think my team-mates also can't wait.”
St James’ Park will be loud. Kerkez sounds like he’s ready to run straight into the noise.
“Fantastic atmosphere there, so we need to go and first game, need to get the three points, definitely.”
The tone is clear: this is not a team easing into a new era. It’s one being told to sprint into it.
“We're more ready. Everyone can't wait for the season to start next week,” Kerkez said. “I feel ready.”
Debutants make their mark
The Como game also offered a first glimpse of two new faces in red – and Kerkez liked what he saw.
Jeremy Jacquet marked his unofficial debut with a goal and an assured display at the back.
“He was brilliant, really,” Kerkez said of the Frenchman. “Defensively, calm on the ball. Confidence is what we need. Plays hard, plays aggressive - Liverpool style of play, definitely. Really, really good.”
Ronald Araujo came on after the break and immediately threw himself into challenges, setting the tone for a more rugged second half.
“Araujo when he came in second half was aggressive, made a few tackles. So was good. JJ good. We were solid.”
Behind them, Alisson did what Alisson does.
“Ali, great, great to keep balls out of the net, so feels good when you have a clean sheet. We have to keep going next week.”
From Bournemouth to Anfield, from Slot to Iraola, Kerkez has already lived two versions of Liverpool. The new one asks him to run harder, defend higher and attack more often.
On Sunday at St James’ Park, we find out how far – and how fast – this version can really go.
