Liverpool’s left-back position is suddenly the talk of the town, with Milos Kerkez’s turbulent start to life at Anfield sparking debate and drawing both scrutiny and support from all corners of the footballing world. The 21-year-old Hungarian international, signed for a hefty £40 million from Bournemouth in the summer of 2025, has found himself thrust into the Premier League spotlight, and the past week has only intensified that glare.
The drama peaked on September 14, 2025, when Liverpool traveled to Turf Moor to face Burnley. Kerkez, eager to impress new manager Arne Slot and justify his significant price tag, started the match but lasted just 38 minutes. A yellow card for simulation—after what many described as a ‘not smart’ dive in the penalty area—prompted Slot to make a bold call. Fearing a second yellow and a subsequent red card, the Dutch manager substituted Kerkez for the experienced Andy Robertson well before halftime. The move, though tactical and precautionary, sent shockwaves through the Liverpool fanbase and provided plenty of fodder for pundits.
For Kerkez, it was another bump in a road that has already seen its fair share of twists. The left-back’s journey from Serbia to the Premier League has never been straightforward. As a teenager, he was let go by Rapid Vienna for behavioral issues, with former Hungary international Adam Bogdan once describing him as “like a young horse, kicking everything.” Yet those same qualities—passion, intensity, and a refusal to back down—have fueled his rise through the ranks at AZ Alkmaar, Bournemouth, and now Liverpool. According to Bogdan, “If you look around Europe at left backs in terms of the ability to bomb forward but also defend one-on-one, he has proven that, coupled with his mentality, he is absolutely top class.”
Despite the early setback against Burnley, Kerkez’s supporters within the club remain steadfast. Sporting director Richard Hughes, who previously signed Kerkez at Bournemouth and again at Liverpool, is said to have complete faith in the player’s ability to adapt and thrive. The message from the dressing room is one of patience and perspective. Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool’s captain, summed up the mood succinctly: “Milos is a fantastic, aggressive, full-of-energy player who is learning the way of how we play and the intensity. He is dealing with how it is off the pitch, which is not easy. He is going to be fine.”
Perhaps the most vocal and influential supporter of Kerkez’s potential, though, has been Andy Robertson. The 31-year-old vice-captain, who reclaimed the starting role after the Burnley substitution, knows all too well what it’s like to face early doubts at Anfield. Signed from Hull City in 2017 for £8 million, Robertson himself struggled to break into the starting eleven, failing to start nine of his first 13 league matches under then-manager Jürgen Klopp. “He is only young and I think people forget that,” Robertson said of Kerkez after the Burnley match. “He will be the starting left-back for Liverpool in the future. It’s about working hard, learning from mistakes and taking confidence from the group around him. My role is to push him and help him improve.”
Robertson’s words carry extra weight given his own journey. He eventually displaced Alberto Moreno to become one of the Premier League’s most consistent and reliable full-backs, a trajectory he now hopes Kerkez can emulate. “All the new signings are young but have incredible potential and they are the future of the club,” Robertson added. “He has a fantastic future ahead of him and he just needs to keep working hard and not let it affect him, which it won’t as he’s a confident lad. I’ll help him as much as I can but I do want to play games!”
The Burnley match might, in time, be seen less as a defining failure and more as a pivotal learning moment. Kerkez’s performances so far have been a mixed bag: defensively poor in wins over Bournemouth and Newcastle, impressively solid against Arsenal, and then shaky again at Turf Moor. His eagerness to impress has sometimes manifested as overexertion rather than composure, but his mentality—shaped by setbacks and fueled by self-belief—remains undimmed. As Kerkez himself once told a Budapest newspaper, “No two faces. How I am on the pitch is how I am outside of it. I am not pretending to be something. I live simply. I would rather go home for my vacation and be with family or friends in my hometown than travel to Ibiza. Always remember where you’ve come from, don’t change, just get on with it and stay humble. That is what my dad says.”
Off the pitch, Kerkez enjoys a strong family support system and maintains a close friendship with Hungary captain Dominik Szoboszlai, who played a key role in persuading him to join Liverpool over the likes of Manchester City and Manchester United. His brother Marko is also a professional footballer in the Dutch top flight. These connections, combined with his work ethic and resilience, have helped him weather the intense scrutiny that comes with playing for one of England’s biggest clubs.
The competition for Liverpool’s left-back spot has rarely been more intense. Robertson, nearly lured away by Atletico Madrid in the summer before a deal fell through, now finds himself both mentor and rival to Kerkez. The Scotsman’s experience and tactical discipline have made him a trusted option for Slot, especially with a crucial Champions League tie against Atletico Madrid and a Merseyside Derby versus Everton looming large. Yet Kerkez’s raw defensive numbers—outperforming Robertson in tackles and defensive duels per game this season—suggest that, given time, the Hungarian could make the position his own.
Manager Arne Slot, known for his ruthlessness and results-driven approach, explained his decision to substitute Kerkez against Burnley with characteristic candor. “In the team meetings they never disagree with me but maybe when they are talking to their father or their girlfriend they may say ‘what a stupid decision!’” he joked. “I highlighted when he made a foul, six of their players went over to the referee and the referee waved his arms so for me that combination (was the reason for the substitution). He (Kerkez) said he understood but I don’t know what he says to his friends!”
As Liverpool prepare for a pivotal week, the debate over the left-back position is far from settled. Will Slot stick with the tried-and-tested Robertson for the high-stakes fixtures ahead, or continue to invest in Kerkez’s long-term development? For now, all eyes remain firmly on the young Hungarian, whose story is only just beginning to unfold in the red of Liverpool. With the backing of teammates, coaches, and a resilient mindset, Kerkez has every chance to turn this early setback into the foundation for a successful Anfield career.
