Milos Kerkez Enjoys Freedom Under Iraola at Liverpool
Milos Kerkez walked off Anfield with a clean sheet, a 2-0 win over Como and, perhaps most importantly, a familiar feeling back in his legs.
Freedom.
Reunited with Andoni Iraola, the left-back looks like a player unshackled. After a stuttering first year at Liverpool under Arne Slot following his £40m move from Bournemouth, Kerkez suddenly finds himself back in a system he knows, under a coach who trusts him to attack.
And he is relishing it.
Back with Iraola, back on the front foot
Kerkez spent two seasons with Iraola at Bournemouth before Liverpool came calling. Those years on the south coast are now paying off on Merseyside. Of all the players adapting to the new head coach’s high-octane demands, the Hungarian is arguably the most prepared.
“It's a big difference, obviously,” he said, asked how life under Iraola compares to last season. You could see it in his performance as much as hear it in his voice.
Liverpool pressed high, ran hard, and suffocated Como. That is the blueprint.
“We play really aggressive. We need to run a lot more. 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.”
The shift is clear. Under Iraola, Kerkez isn’t just a left-back; he is a constant outlet.
“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.”
The word he keeps coming back to is “freedom”, but it is not freedom without responsibility. It is freedom with a clear plan.
“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.”
Ninety minutes in the tank, Newcastle on the horizon
The win over Como wrapped up Liverpool’s pre-season, but for Kerkez it carried extra weight. It was his first full 90 minutes of the summer, and it came just eight days before the Premier League opener away at Newcastle United.
“I feel ready,” he said. “Today is the first time playing 90 minutes. I felt a bit in the legs at, I would say 70, 70-something, but it's good to get the whole 90 minutes today.”
He knows why it mattered. Newcastle away is no gentle easing-in.
“We needed to get the win today, to get that positive mentality going into the next week. So, we did good, clean sheet - good for the defenders - and, yeah, we're happy.”
There was no pretending everything is already perfect.
“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.
“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.”
He has been there before, both in a Bournemouth shirt and now in Liverpool red. That contrast sticks with him.
“I can remember last season how it was. 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.
“Fantastic atmosphere there, so we need to go and first game, need to get the three points, definitely.”
The message is clear: no easing into the campaign, no excuses. Iraola’s Liverpool intend to hit full speed from the first whistle at St James’ Park.
New faces, same standards
The Como game was not just about fitness and rhythm. It was also a first look at new boys Jeremy Jacquet and Ronald Araujo in Liverpool colours, and Kerkez did not hold back in his praise.
“He was brilliant, really,” he said of Jacquet, who marked his unofficial debut with a goal. “Defensively, calm on the ball. Confidence is what we need. Plays hard, plays aggressive - Liverpool style of play, definitely. Really, really good.”
Araujo, introduced after the break, made a different kind of statement.
“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.”
Aggression. Running. Freedom. Clean sheets. Iraola’s Liverpool are still in the sketching phase, but the outlines are bold. Next stop is Newcastle, and then the real judgement begins.
