Interview with Milos Kerkez after Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Everton in Saturday’s Merseyside derby at Anfield

09:00, 22 Sep 2025Updated 09:43, 22 Sep 2025

Milos Kerkez looks on during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Everton at Anfield on September 20, 2025 in Liverpool, England.(Image: Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Milos Kerkez has revealed the Andy Robertson pep talk that helped him star for Liverpool in Saturday’s Merseyside derby win over Everton.

The Premier League champions beat their neighbours 2-1 at Anfield thanks to first-half goals from Ryan Gravenberch and Hugo Ekitike, despite Idrissa Gueye scoring a consolation shortly before the hour mark of the 247th meeting between the clubs.

Kerkez enjoyed a productive afternoon on his derby debut, largely keeping Everton dangerman Iliman Ndiaye subdued while also contributing to a number of attacks to help Arne Slot’s side maintain their 100% start to the campaign.

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Kerkez, a £40m arrival from Bournemouth in the summer transfer window, is competing for minutes with the long-serving Robertson, whose importance to the squad was formally recognised by Slot recently giving him the vice captaincy following Trent Alexander-Arnold’s exit.

And while Scotland skipper Robertson faces his biggest test yet to keep his place in the Liverpool side with the capture of Kerkez, the Hungary international has explained what his more experienced colleague said to him ahead of the win over David Moyes’s Toffees.

“The relationship is really good,” Kerkez said. “Before the game he motivated me, he told me: ‘Go outside and do your thing that you were doing last season.’ So he gave me a bit of a push. Then after the game he congratulated me and told me that I should keep going like that.

“We are good. He’s a legend who did amazing things, won everything and still has quality. It’s not like he’s not here. He’s a squad player. This is Liverpool, we’re competing. He’s pushing me, I’m pushing him and I think that’s important to have in a big club like this.

“Like I say, I’m playing a bit different so I’m adapting to that. I would say on Saturday I could have more freedom. That was also from what the coach wanted me to do so like I said, I’m just going to do what he tells me in every game.

“With Virgil (van Dijk), I think I’m building a good connection. Obviously we are now playing more and I think we are defending well.

“Everyone is adapting to each other, even Flo (Florian Wirtz) and Alex (Alexander Isak) and everyone who arrived so everything needs a bit of time to gel in. Obviously now we’re getting results but I think in the future it’s going to be really, really bright.

“At the end of the day, the result and points are important. Even if the game is sometimes not going our way, we have to continue to win the game. We always find solutions so I hope that continues. We have a lot of big quality players so we have to continue.”

On the game itself, Kerkez added: “Obviously we were [ahead] 2-0. I think we should have continued more with the pressure, intensity but obviously we were so intense in the first half that our energy dropped a bit. It’s normal that we controlled the game a bit less and obviously they scored but we stayed mentally in the game until the end.

“It’s the same for me. I’m just here to do my job. I want to improve, I want to give everything for the badge. Obviously you have to adapt and the coach and the players are helping me [with that] a lot so I’m improving a lot every day.

“I’m playing a bit different here than [when] I played in Bournemouth but I’m not listening too much to outside noise. I’m just following what the coach is telling me so what he tells me I’m doing every week and that’s what will keep me playing.

“Sometimes I’m dropping lower to play and to keep the ball. In Bournemouth I played I would say a bit more on the higher line and had a bit more freedom. But here, you play more for the team, for points and to win so you have to look for the team.

“That’s more important than individual performances so we have to do what the coach tells us and that’s why we’re winning games. Like I say, I’m playing a bit different so I’m adapting to that. I would say on Saturday I could have more freedom. That was also what the coach wanted me to do so like I said, I’m just going to do what he tells me in every game.”