"He is the perfect fit for us." That's Milos Kerkez's verdict on Andoni Iraola's arrival at Anfield — and when he says it, it carries weight. Kerkez didn't just work under Iraola at Bournemouth. He was transformed by him, going from promising youngster to a £40 million Liverpool signing in barely two years.
The left-back is speaking from Chicago during Liverpool's preseason tour, and between setting the record straight about a viral wedding photo — it was his brother Rade's, not his — he's making clear that last season's fifth-place finish isn't something this squad intends to repeat.
What Iraola actually brings to Merseyside
It's easy to say a manager plays intense football. Kerkez explains what that actually looks like from inside the training ground.
"If you see footage of how we all are after training, all lying down, then you can see what he is preparing us for." Losing teams run. There are timed shuttles — 16 metres there and back in under seven seconds. Iraola even calls certain drills "consequences." The word choice says a lot about the culture he's building.
For Liverpool, that culture is exactly what's needed. Arne Slot's side surrendered the title and finished fifth before he was sacked — a result that genuinely shocked Kerkez, who said he was asleep in Serbia when his brother knocked on the door to tell him. The question now is whether Iraola can channel last season's chaos into something sharper. Given what he did with Bournemouth — transforming them into one of the most organised pressing units in the league — Liverpool's title odds deserve a closer look than they might have attracted a few months ago.
Kerkez's read of the new manager goes beyond tactics. "He doesn't want to get too close to some players... he keeps it professional, with a lot of hard work." No favourites. No cliques. That's a deliberate choice, and it matters in a dressing room that needs rebuilding.
Filling Robertson's shirt — on his own terms
Andy Robertson left for Tottenham this summer after nine years and every major trophy Liverpool had to offer. Kerkez is clear-eyed about that legacy without being paralysed by it.
"We all know what Andy did for the club. I want to make my own way." Robertson apparently spent time during their shared season talking to Kerkez about crossing technique, positioning, lung capacity. The student has listened. Whether he can replicate the consistency across a 38-game season is the open question, but Iraola's system — full-backs running channels, underlapping and overlapping constantly — suits Kerkez's game better than almost anyone else's in the squad.
"To run this much, you have to be born with it a bit," Kerkez admits. "But I like to run a lot." He stays after training to run penalty box to penalty box. There and back. Rest. Repeat. Liverpool's left flank should be a problem for defenses this season.
As for pressure? He doesn't want to hear the word. "I grew up a bit different in Serbia. It's just your job. Do your own damn job." Hard to argue with that.
