Despite a slight dip in form towards the end of the season, AFC Bournemouth have undeniably been one of the Premier League’s most captivating narratives.
Under the guidance of Andoni Iraola, the team showcased exhilarating football, securing notable victories against top-tier opposition and establishing themselves in the upper echelon of the league. While recent results may not fully reflect their earlier dynamism, the season has yielded significant positives, most notably the emergence of several promising talents within the squad.
Among these burgeoning stars is their dynamic left-back, Milos Kerkez. The Hungarian international has distinguished himself as one of the league’s standout performers in his position, attracting considerable attention from clubs worldwide.
Ahead of Bournemouth’s final league game of the season against Leicester City this weekend, Showmax caught up with Kerkez for an exclusive interview, where he offered his insights into his experiences at Bournemouth and his perspectives on the league’s most impressive players and teams.
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Your performances at left back this season have been incredible. What’s the secret to your great form this season and how much are you enjoying your role in the team’s overall success?
Thank you very much. I mean, I’m really happy. First of all I’m really happy that I’m injury-free and that the gaffer trusts me with every game until now. And like I say, the most important thing is to stay healthy and I’m really thankful that I’m fit and can play all the games. I just want to do my best always, and give 100 per cent, whether I am defending or attacking. I’m always looking to try to help the team and to win the games.
Tell me about the gaffer, Andoni Iraola. What’s it like playing under him and how has his tactical approach helped you both personally in your playing style but also the team’s overall performance?
You can clearly see that as a team we are really together and he’s really pushing us and wants us to play on the front foot. He wants us to press a lot, wants us to run a lot and to be physical because at the end of the day you win games with physicality and that’s what we want to do. He puts that culture into us. Now I think we know what he expects from us, we know what he wants us to do and we are even more connected, let’s say. We just have to follow his plan, that’s the most important and if we follow it, it’s going to be a good result.
Looking back at the Premier League season and the games you’ve played to date, who have been the toughest opponents you think you’ve come up against?
It’s a tough league and obviously every team has good attackers and it’s always dangerous. If you switch off for a second against anyone in the league you get punished. But yeah, maybe I would say the most experienced one, the best one is (Mohamed) Salah. He’s a really strong, really good player and has the most experience. He’s breaking the records and I would probably say him. He’s always going to be up there.
It’s your second season here in the Premier League now, it’s your home now. What are your thoughts on the continuous intensity and quality of this league? Many regard it as the best in the world.
Yeah, it’s by far the best. I feel it’s two, three levels above any league when it comes to that, the intensity and everything, I mean every player that comes here needs some time to adapt to the physical part and that you can really play for 90 minutes. Like I say, if you switch off for a second, it’s costing you a goal. So for me also I needed that time and yeah, it’s tough. But day by day they work with you, the coaching staff, the physical coaches to bring you in the best shape and only time then will tell when you’re ready.
And being here at Bournemouth, how close have you got with your teammates now? Is there anyone in particular that you’ve formed real friendship with here?
We’re really all connected, like we’re really all hanging out and everything. But yeah, I could say maybe I’m good with Justin (Kluivert) and even Dean (Huijsen). We all have good energy in the locker room and sometimes go for coffee after training and all that. We are all like a group.
What about wider in the Premier League? Obviously there’s another Hungarian player in the league, Dominik Szoboszlai at Liverpool. Are you close to him?
I mean with Dominik I’m really close. We’re playing in a national team and we’re talking a lot. It’s a different schedule because we have more games so it was a little bit tougher for us to meet. In the last few months we were talking a lot, texting, calling and keeping a really close connection. Even before I arrived here at Bournemouth we were close. And now that I’m here, we’re really close and he’s a good friend of mine. It’s good to have someone like that in the league and in the country. Hopefully in the future more Hungarian players will play in the Premier League.
Apart from Bournemouth, what other teams have really impressed you this season?
You have to say (Nottingham) Forest is up there and they’re competing for a top place and I think no one expected it, but they have shown everyone that they have the quality, they have the players, the coach, the philosophy. They’re a really good team and they’re fighting. Other than that I would say obviously Liverpool has played amazing football the whole year and they’re a really, really aggressive, really physical team, also by the numbers, and that would be the two teams.
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