- Robertson drew links between Milos Kerkez’s first season and his own start at Liverpool.
- Robertson says the competition pushed him to improve his fitness and speed.
- He backs Kerkez to have a “very exciting Liverpool career.”
In a farewell interview with Sky Sports, Andy Robertson threw his support behind Liverpool’s summer signing, left-back Milos Kerkez.
Kerkez earned his move to Liverpool following a standout 2024/25 campaign with Bournemouth. Robertson acknowledged that the young defender was brought in as his long-term successor, noting that the internal competition had pushed him to elevate his own game even breaking his personal speed record, though he couldn’t recall the exact number.
When discussing Kerkez, Robertson urged for patience: “Milos is such an exciting left-back. He needed time this season… I was allowed that time, and we have to allow him that time. He will go on to have a very exciting Liverpool career.”
Andy Robertson’s impending departure marks the end of an era at Anfield. As the legendary Scotsman prepares to say his goodbyes, the spotlight naturally shifts to his successor, Milos Kerkez.
Signed on the back of a sensational 2024/25 campaign with Bournemouth, the young Hungarian left-back arrived with massive expectations on his shoulders.
Stepping into the boots of a club icon is never easy, and Kerkez’s debut season has come with its fair share of growing pains. However, if the youngster is looking for a blueprint on how to conquer Anfield, he doesn’t need to look any further than the man he is replacing.
It is easy to forget that Robertson wasn’t an instant superstar when he arrived on Merseyside. Signed from Hull City for a modest £8 million at the start of the 2017/18 season, he was far from a guaranteed starter.
At the time, Alberto Moreno held the primary left-back spot, and Robertson had to patiently bide his time, sharing duties with the Spaniard. To complicate matters further, a young Joe Gomez also filled in at left-back during the first half of that campaign.
By the end of his debut year, Robertson had started just 22 Premier League games. Compare that to Kerkez’s current transition: the Hungarian has started 27 games this season, while a veteran Robertson has stepped in for 10 starts (making 23 appearances total).
While Kerkez has occasionally struggled for form under the heavy weight of the Liverpool shirt, Robertson’s own history proves that a bumpy first year is completely normal.
Fixing the flaws
The biggest lesson Kerkez can take from Robertson is how to use a transitional season for self-improvement. When Robertson first arrived, he wasn’t the finished product.
In a recent documentary tracking the defender’s career, Jürgen Klopp openly admitted that the Scot had “massive holes” in his defensive game when he first walked through the doors at Anfield.
Robertson used that first year to put his head down, absorb the tactical demands of Liverpool’s high-pressing system, and round out his defensive game. The rewards were instant: by the end of that very same 2017/18 season, Robertson was starting in a Champions League final against Real Madrid.
Kerkez possesses a similar raw, explosive talent, and likely shares some of those same defensive gaps that a young Robertson once displayed. If the former Bournemouth man can match Robertson’s work ethic and willingness to learn, he has all the tools to plug those gaps and become a world-class fullback.
Passing the torch: Robertson’s formidable push
Remarkably, rather than coasting through his final year, the internal competition provided by Kerkez pushed Robertson to elevate his own game. The veteran revealed that the pressure actually drove him to break his own personal top-speed record this season even if he couldn’t quite remember the exact number when pressed.
Despite losing his undisputed starting spot, Robertson has nothing but belief in the man taking his mantle. Speaking to Sky Sports in a poignant farewell interview, Robertson urged the fanbase to give the youngster the same patience he received nearly a decade ago.
“Milos is such an exciting left-back. He needed time this season… I was allowed that time, and we have to allow him that time. He will go on to have a very exciting Liverpool career.”
ReadLiverpoolFC Verdict
Replacing a modern club legend is one of the toughest tasks in football. It is entirely fair to say that Milos Kerkez has blown hot and cold during his debut season on Merseyside, but any fans sweating over his inconsistent form need to take a deep breath.
Robertson’s £8m move in 2017 is widely regarded as one of the greatest bargain transfers in Premier League history, but we often rewrite the past to forget that he spent his first six months struggling to get ahead of Alberto Moreno. He had defensive flaws, he had to adapt to a massive step up in expectation, and he needed time to learn the system.
Kerkez has arguably been thrown into the deep end even faster than Robertson was. The fact that Robertson a player who knows exactly what it takes to win the biggest trophies in the world is publicly backing Kerkez’s ceiling speaks volumes.
The raw ingredients are all there: the speed, the aggression, and the attacking intent. If Kerkez shows the same humility and determination to fix his defensive blind spots as Robbo did, Liverpool’s left-back position will be secure for the next decade.
