Milos Kerkez says Iraola is already turning up Liverpool’s intensity
Milos Kerkez said Arne Slot’s Liverpool exit surprised him, but Andoni Iraola’s demanding preseason has quickly changed the mood.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
Milos Kerkez Iraola Liverpool chatter has a fresh edge after the left back said Arne Slot’s sudden exit caught him cold, while Andoni Iraola’s arrival has already brought a harder, faster preseason.
Kerkez told reporters, including ESPN, at Liverpool’s team hotel in downtown Chicago that he was asleep in Serbia when he learned Slot had been dismissed less than a week after the club’s disappointing 2025-26 campaign ended.
The Hungary international said his brother woke him with the news, and Kerkez called it a “big surprise.” He added that he has exchanged messages with Slot since the Dutch coach left.
The timing was not what Kerkez expected when he joined Liverpool from AFC Bournemouth last summer in a £40 million move. ESPN reported that he arrived shortly after Liverpool had won the Premier League under Slot, only for the next season to become a grind.
Liverpool still reached the Champions League by finishing fifth on the final day, according to ESPN. Kerkez, after a difficult start at Anfield, ended the season as one of the brighter parts of a poor campaign.
How is Andoni Iraola changing Liverpool?
Kerkez told ESPN that Iraola’s football is built on intensity, high pressing and accepting one-on-one battles across the pitch. The defender said Liverpool’s players have been left on the floor after training, which he took as a sign of the conditioning Iraola wants.
Iraola, who worked with Kerkez at Bournemouth, replaced Slot as Liverpool head coach last month. Kerkez said he was delighted by the appointment because Iraola had helped him improve during their two years together.
ESPN reported that Iraola has already brought parts of his Bournemouth routine to Liverpool’s U.S. preseason camp, including alternating single and double training sessions. One drill mentioned in the report is called “Consequences,” where the losing team in small-sided games faces a running punishment.
The new manager’s first preseason match brought a 4-2 win over Sunderland in Nashville on Saturday, according to ESPN. Liverpool’s tour continues Wednesday against Wrexham at Yankee Stadium in New York, before games against Leeds United in Chicago and then Monaco and Como at Anfield.
Kerkez described Iraola as professional and demanding, saying the manager does not appear to get too close to individual players because he wants the squad treated equally. The message, according to Kerkez, is work first.
The defender also explained what Iraola has hammered into his game. Kerkez said the coach puts defending first for fullbacks, with attacking contributions coming after the basic job is done.
Kerkez is trying to build on a season in which ESPN said he improved significantly after an uneasy start. He is also following Andy Robertson, who joined Tottenham Hotspur on a free transfer last month and who Kerkez said helped him during his first Liverpool year.
Off the pitch, ESPN reported that Kerkez has been loose and upbeat on tour. He said friends mistakenly congratulated him on getting married after he posted pictures from his brother Rade’s wedding.
Kerkez lives in England with his parents, Sebastijan and Tijani, and said their presence matters to him. He credited his father with keeping him grounded when good performances might otherwise carry him away.
Liverpool open the Premier League portion of Iraola’s tenure against Newcastle United next month, according to ESPN. Kerkez said the squad is adjusting to the workload and believes Iraola’s style will fit the team.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.