While the arrival of Andoni Iraola as Liverpool’s new head coach represents change for most of the club’s players, for left back Milos Kerkez it’s a reunion, with the Hungarian having spent two seasons playing under Iraola with the Cherries before joining the Reds last summer.
As a result, Kerkez well knows the new boss already—as well as a number of Iraola’s backroom staff. He knows the style, the approach, and what expectations will be for the players going into pre-season and then on into the 2026-27
campaign as the Reds look to get back on track.
“I’m really happy they’re here,” Kerkez told the club’s official website. “I think we had really great times together in Bournemouth and when I saw that he was coming, when I heard about it, I was obviously really happy. I know him, I spent two years with them in Bournemouth.
“They know me, I know them, and I know they can bring a lot to the club—especially Andoni with the playing style, the energy, and how he wants his team to play. I think it suits Liverpool and I think it’s going to be really exciting times ahead. He’s a nice person, obviously. He is nice.
“He lets you know what he wants from you, then it’s up to you to do it. I mean, if you don’t, you’re not playing, simple as that. But he lets you know what you need to do, he shows fully his emotions a lot, you can see on the sideline and everywhere that he’s really, really energetic.”
Kerkez also thinks the fact Iraola is from the Basque region of Spain and spent his playing career at Athletic Bilbao will help him to fit in at Liverpool and connect with supporters given that club and region are well known for a strong sense of local independence and identity.
The parallels to Liverpool’s Scouse not English mindset are clear, and Iraola has already talked about his desire not to lose Curtis Jones given he’s the last Scouser left in the first team squad after the past two summers have seen a drift away from embracing a local identity for the club.
“He’s coming from Bilbao and you know their mentality is also like that,” Kerkez added. “So I think he’s a perfect boss for Liverpool and how he wants his team to play. We just have to make a good pre-season, listen to what he wants, and I think the team is going to be in good shape.”
