Milos Kerkez's life changed after phone call from soccer legend led to career switch

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Milos Kerkez initially had aspirations of becoming a swimmer, but now he's eager to make waves at Liverpool after two standout seasons with Bournemouth.

The rapid rise of the determined Hungarian left-back has not gone unnoticed by those in charge at Anfield. Liverpool's sporting director Richard Hughes, formerly of Bournemouth, was instrumental in the £15.5 million ($21M) deal that saw Kerkez join the Cherries in the Premier League in 2023.

The dynamic AZ Alkmaar youngster, now aged 21, had already agreed personal terms with Lazio after scoring against the Italian side in the UEFA Conference League, until a last-minute intervention from Hughes tipped the scales.

Bournemouth's pitch to the Kerkez family focused on his development and unlocking his superstar potential. Their faith in his abilities has been emphatically justified, as the energetic full-back was named in the Premier League's Fan Team of the Season following an outstanding campaign under Andoni Iraola.

Kerkez's tireless energy and remarkable consistency have won over Liverpool, who see him as the ideal successor to Andy Robertson. However, his electrifying performances have also caught the eye of Real Madrid, Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, and Atletico Madrid, among others, as negotiations continue between the clubs.

Serbian-born Kerkez is already well-accustomed to the spotlight, having previously caught the eye of some of football's giants before his transfer to AC Milan from Hungarian side Gyor in 2021.

The young talent was on the radar of Rossoneri icon Paolo Maldini, who was then the club's sporting director. After being tipped off by scouts and reviewing footage of the up-and-coming star, Maldini conducted a dramatic last-minute operation, even dispatching a private jet to Hungary to seize Kerkez's signature ahead of Juventus.

Kerkez later reminisced: "They left no stone unturned, if Paolo Maldini calls you personally, then you shouldn't think too much, you have to go! As a child, I watched many videos of him, we talked a lot and he gave me lots of advice, when you're talking to the best left-back in the world, every word is worth paying attention to."

Though Kerkez didn’t rack up minutes in Milan's first team aside from a practice match, he gained valuable experience training with stars like Theo Hernandez, Rafael Leao, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. He also faced a Liverpool team featuring Conor Bradley and Jarrell Quansah in the UEFA Youth League.

He modestly admitted that he "could not compete" physically with the high-calibre players at Milan, but when the Serie A heavyweights suggested a loan move for Kerkez, he chose to make a permanent transfer to AZ instead, where he impressed Arne Slot despite receiving multiple offers from German clubs.

The Hungarian international now stands confidently on the global stage, and his anticipated transfer to Liverpool is set to elevate Slot's squad to new heights. Kerkez's meteoric ascent through six different countries is a testament to his dedication and formidable mindset.

(Image: Simon Stacpoole/Getty Images)

After swapping his swimming ambitions for football at the age of eight, Kerkez – who was released from Hungary's national team camp on Saturday morning in anticipation of his move to Merseyside – relocated to Austria for five years with Rapid Wien. During the standstill of 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, he sought advice from Gyor teammate and ex-Watford forward Tamas Priskin about playing in the Premier League.

Now, just five years later, the beloved Kerkez is well on his way to surpassing Priskin's tally of 63 international caps for Hungary, having already earned 23 caps for his nation.

Kerkez, whose elder brother is a left-back for Aris FC in the Greek Super League, is set to become the second priciest Hungarian player ever, following fellow countryman Dominik Szoboszlai's £60M ($81M) move to Anfield from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2023.

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