Milos Kerkez has been one of the lightning rods for criticism at Liverpool this season after failing to hit the ground running.
There had been plenty of excitement over the Hungarian’s arrival, with Reds fans watching him get better and better during two years with Bournemouth.
But after joining Liverpool for around £40m, Kerkez initially struggled to adapt to the expectations on him.
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The 22-year-old even lost his place in Arne Slot’s starting XI as supporters began to question whether he was a better option than Andy Robertson.
While those concerns still remain to a degree, Kerkez has been having a revival of late. Having regained his starting spot from Robertson for Saturday’s win over Brighton, the young left-back has been told that he delivered his best performance for Liverpool so far.
Milos Kerkez deals with Yankuba Minteh
Heading into Saturday’s game, Slot will have known exactly how dangerous Brighton right winger Yankuba Minteh can be.
The Liverpool head coach managed Minteh during his final season with Feyenoord, and the 21-year-old has five Premier League goal contributions already this term.
Milos Kerkez and Yankuba Minteh battle for the ball during Liverpool's Premier League match against Brighton at Anfield.
Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images
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Minteh was always going to be a test for Kerkez, and the Gambian looked to be getting the upper hand in the battle early on.
But as former Liverpool player Ray Houghton pointed out post-game, the left-back stuck at it and eventually came out on top.
“I thought Kerkez had his best game for Liverpool, I thought he was outstanding,” Houghton told LFCTV.
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“He was up against a really strong winger who likes to run, physically imposing. He had a couple of runs early on and got the better of him, but then he learned positionally where he should be. I thought he was absolutely outstanding from that point of view.”
“Milos Kerkez I thought was outstanding today,” former captain Phil Thompson agreed.
What happens next with Andy Robertson?
While it is brilliant news for Liverpool supporters that Kerkez is beginning to look more like his old self, there is one person who that could spell a problem for.
Robertson has been important for Liverpool despite not being a guaranteed starter this season, but the vice-captain’s contract is due to expire in the summer.
Had Kerkez continued to struggle, it may have strengthened his hand when it came to staying at the club.
But if the new man keeps going in his revival, it is easy to see how it could really spell the end for Robertson.
There is a long way still to go in the season, however, but it is clear that Kerkez is now starting to properly cement himself as Slot’s man at left-back.
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