The former Manchester United defender was asked about full-backs in the current game.
Liverpool arguably have three members of their squad who are very much rubbing shoulders with the elite.
Virgil van Dijk is still regarded among the best centre-backs around. Since his arrival from Southampton in 2018, he has helped Liverpool win seven major trophies, including two Premier League titles and the Champions League.
Mo Salah and Alisson Becker have also been indispensable members of the Reds’ success over the past few years. Both were signed from AS Roma, with Salah joining in 2017 and Alisson the following year.
Salah has become one of the greatest players in Liverpool history, sitting third in the club’s all-time top scorer charts with 250 goals. While Salah’s form has dropped this campaign, he is still a feared forward.
Alisson, meanwhile, is only behind Ray Clemence in terms of the best goalkeepers to represent the Reds. The Brazil international could still represent any team around.
Yet all three are in their 30s and now in the twilight years of their respective careers. If Liverpool are to continue dining at the top table, they will need players capable of mixing it with the very best around.
Most would concur that Florian Wirtz has the potential to be among the best players in Europe. After a tough start following a £100 million arrival from Bayer Leverkusen, the Germany international has started to display his quality. Alexander Isak was regarded as quite possibly the second-best striker in Europe - behind Erling Haaland - when he signed for the Reds for a British record fee of £125 million.
Isak has had a soft launch to his Anfield career and now finds himself sidelined for an extended period due to a broken leg. However, if the 26-year-old recaptures the deadly form he showed at Newcastle United, he will be hard to stop.
Hugo Ekitike has already proven he has the potential to be elite. The Frenchman has pleasantly surprised plenty since joining for up to £79 million, scoring 12 goals.
And according to a Manchester United legend, another of Liverpool’s summer signings has the potential to become world-class. Denis Irwin has suggested that Milos Kerkez could become one of the best full-backs around.
In an interview with ESPN, Irwin was quizzed on which players of his former position are currently regarded as first-rate. The former United defender said that PSG’s Achraf Hakimi may well fit the bracket, but snubbed the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, who left Liverpool for Real Madrid last summer, along with Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella and Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies.
He also rejected Jeremie Frimpong - but said that Milos Kerkez potentially could go on to become world-class. Kerkez joined Liverpool from AFC Bournemouth for £40 million last summer. The Hungary international was magnificent for the Cherries last season and named in the PFA Team of the Year. He endured a difficult start to his Liverpool career, but has made encouraging progress in recent months.
Kerkez is still only aged 22 and his best years are well ahead of him. And he’s been given a huge vote of confidence from Irwin, who won seven Premier Leagues and the Champions League during his career.
Since moving to Liverpool, Kerkez has forced Andy Robertson to be demoted to second-choice left-back. The Scotland international has been outstanding for the Reds since his arrival from Hull City for just £8 million. He was another core member of the trophy-laden period under Jurgen Klopp and last year’s Premier League title triumph in Arne Slot’s maiden season as Liverpool head coach.
Irwin reckons that Robertson has reached world-class levels during his career. He said: “Love Robertson as a defender. He’s done brilliant for Liverpool, obviously our biggest rivals. World-class? Yeah, he wouldn’t be too far off it.”
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