'Relentless, expressive and full of fire'
Milos Kerkez does not so much play left-back as explode into the role.At 21, he has already redefined it for Bournemouth - and now he is set to do the same for Liverpool.Signed as Andy Robertson's heir-apparent, Kerkez arrives not as a promising project, but a ready-made menace, forged in the Premier League and sharpened in Andoni Iraola's press-heavy system.Only two players made more overlapping runs than Kerkez's 237 last season, he ranked top three for open-play crosses, and covered more ground than nearly every full-back in the division.But this is not just a story of engine and enterprise. It is one of decision-making, discipline and timing. For instance, his 'true tackle' success rate (61.3%) outperformed Robertson, fellow new boy Jeremie Frimpong and ex-Reds full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold's last season.Statistically, he is elite. Positionally, he is aggressive without being exposed. And crucially, in an evolving Liverpool set-up, Kerkez balances out the equation with bite and balance on the left.He is also very Liverpool in spirit - relentless, expressive and full of fire. He does not wait for space, he makes it. He does not defer to experience, he defines it.He may have grown up in a Manchester United-supporting family, but one gets the sense Kerkez was built for Anfield.If Liverpool want full-backs to be full-throttle again, they have just signed the fastest gun in the west.
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