RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesNASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - JULY 25: Milos Kerkez #6 of Liverpool dribbles the ball during the pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Sunderland AFC at GEODIS Park on July 25, 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andrew J. Clark/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images) | ISI Photos via Getty Images
For most of Liverpool’s players, the arrival of Andoni Iraola as the new head coach means a new style and new tactics to learn, to adjust to, and to get comfortable with. For Milos Kerkez, who played his first two seasons in England under Iraola at Bournemouth before joining the Reds last summer, it’s a reunion.
Kerkez arrived at Bournemouth in 2023, the same summer as Iraola, and played 74 games across two seasons with him at The Cherries. Now, even though it’s only been a week or two of pre-season where they’ve been back together, he says he’s already feeling good about the tweaks to his game the trainer is asking for.
“I like it,” Kerkez said following Saturday’s 4-2 friendly victory over Sunderland in Nashville. “You see me higher—I can play higher and go one against one. I still need to work a bit to get the legs back but this is why there is pre-season to get some good minutes, and so we’re working really hard now this pre-season.
“You can see in training sessions, everyone is happy. We know what we have to do. And it’s a big season ahead. It’s my fourth year in the Premier League and you need to build physicality, you need to build the legs and help the young lads, but there is a lot of quality so I’m really happy and we need to build on this.”
While last season might have been Kerkez’ first at Liverpool, meaning he never actually got to experience the high intensity football of the Jürgen Klopp era, it’s an approach he associates both with the club as well as with Iraola from his time at Bournemouth, and he thinks the fans and players are going to enjoy seeing it.
“I think it will be the heavy Liverpool team Liverpool used to be,” Kerkez added. “Always on the press, front-foot, going forward and full pressing. Anfield is going to also push us a lot I think and help to give us the energy. When they see us always pushing, I think they’re going to give us big support home and away.
“So the big difference is going to be I think the pressure, the pressing, and the aggressiveness in our game this year.”
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