Former Liverpool star eats humble pie over Milos Kerkez criticism

Liverpool left-back Milos Kerkez has been in good form lately, impressing after his $54 million (£40 million) transfer move to Anfield from Bournemouth last summer

Virgil van Dijk and Liverpool teammate Milos Kerkez(Image: Lewis Storey/Getty Images)

Milos Kerkez has seemingly found his feet at Liverpool in recent weeks, stepping up his performance levels in the majority of recent games, including against Brighton at the weekend.

After he made a slow-ish start to life on Merseyside, it didn't take long for some criticism to head his way. Only a few months on, several pundits who were too quick to judge him are having to eat their words.

"Listen, I have been critical of Kerkez, and I think for the majority of this season he’s been a problem in the back four," Liverpool legend Steve Nicol said on ESPN FC on Saturday.

"He has not affected Liverpool either in an attacking sense or in a defensive sense, and we’ve mentioned it on more than one occasion so I think it’s only right that we say in terms of what he’s producing, he was fantastic today.

"He’s a terrier defensively, he was in good positions, he got close to people, he won the ball back. And then of course going forward, he’s almost scored with a cracking volley, he’s set up Curtis Jones for his goals.

"I mean, what we saw from Kerkez, 100 per cent is the player we thought Liverpool would get, and today he’s shown us what he’s capable of.

"So, now let’s hope he’s taken a step forward and he can get close to that sort of performance every time he steps onto the field. And if he does, not just me but every Liverpool fan will be more than pleased."

Arne Slot's patience shown with Milos Kerkez is being rewarded

"This is what you get if you play longer together with your teammates," Arne Slot said of Kerkez earlier this month.

"This is what you get if you keep playing those players, even if they are maybe in sometimes having moments in games that are not as good as other moments, or games that have not been as good as other games.

"This is also normal for younger players and the only thing you can do as a manager is keep trusting them and keep believing in them

"We know, we signed [him], we saw his potential and we knew — and it already has been shown — that potential will be seen if you keep playing them."

"I think it is pretty clear you definitely see an improvement," Virgil van Dijk told reporters at Anfield. "He is still so young and is getting used to being a Liverpool player.

"It is a lot more than kicking a ball on the pitch, especially when the team has been inconsistent it's not easy to play your best games. But with the help of Robbo (Andy Robertson) and the rest of the team and his own development, I think he is making big progress.

"What I see is there is a lot to come for him to learn and improve, but that's a good thing. He just has to keep going. He has a lot of energy. When we were young, we were always full of energy. He is eager to learn."

Liverpool.com says: Kerkez has been excellent lately. It is easy to forget how young he was when he came in (21 years old). It was always likely to take a period adjustment, but now we are seeing what he is capable of.