Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk insists that Milos Kerkez is “making big progress” and that it is “pretty clear you definitely see an improvement” in the 22-year-old.
Kerkez initially struggled after signing from Bournemouth for £40m in the summer but has thrived in recent weeks and put in a player-of-the-match display against Brighton on Sunday, where he got an assist and helped his side keep a clean sheet.
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“I think it is pretty clear you definitely see an improvement,” said Van Dijk.
“He (Kerkez) 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.
Kerkez – who has played 33 games for Liverpool this season – and Van Dijk play on the same side of the Reds’ backline and the captain stressed that there is still plenty to learn for the Hungarian full-back.
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“Of course I had chats because on the pitch we need each other, whether it is positioning or even today he presses as a full-back and I have to cover,” Van Dijk added.
“It’s a collaboration that you obviously have to understand each other and me and Robbo had that for so many years and you still see that in our game and that is something that has to develop over games.
“Conversations are happening 100 percent behind the scenes and in games, like with the rest of the team, to try to be the best team and players on the pitch.”
Asked what Kerkez is like as a teammate, Van Dijk laughed and said: “He has a lot of energy. He is young. When we were young we were always full of energy. He is eager to learn.”
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