Robertson’s Final Challenge: Mentoring Liverpool’s Next Great Full-Back | OneFootball

The Last of the Klopp-Era Leaders

If this is the beginning of the end for Andy Robertson’s time as Liverpool’s first-choice left-back, then it’s worth remembering what made him such a fixture in the first place. A £10 million signing from Hull in 2017, Robertson embodied everything Klopp wanted in a full-back: relentless energy, elite delivery, defensive aggression, and most crucially, a sense of responsibility to the team. He didn’t arrive with much fanfare, but within 6 months he’d effectively retired Alberto Moreno and planted the flag as one of Europe’s top full-backs. Long gone are the days when fans rued the recruitment department’s inability to sign Leicester City youngster, Ben Chilwell, as the trajectory of each veteran fullback paints a very different picture in the years since gone. Adoration and appreciation will now follow Robbo in what could be his last season on Merseyside, one that requires him to build up his long-term replacement.

Now at 31, and coming off a season disrupted by the odd injury and erratic form, Robertson finds himself in unfamiliar territory — not under threat from a struggling Kostas Tsimikas, but facing genuine long-term succession pressure from 21-year-old Milos Kerkez. Liverpool’s interest in Kerkez isn’t speculative and a deal looks set to be completed in this initial transfer window within the summer of 2025. This move is a strategic decision to bolster the left side, as Florian Wirtz joins ahead of him to offer inside creative depth. A left-footed, attack-minded full-back with blistering acceleration and positional intelligence, Kerkez looks like the type of modern wide defender who can develop into a cornerstone of Arne Slot’s new-look side, with equality and boundless aggression on either side of the pitch as Jeremie Frimpong readies his forthcoming impact.

The key, then, is in the handover. Few players in this squad are better suited to mentoring than Robertson — a natural communicator and relentless trainer, who never forgot what it took to break through from his humbled beginnings. There’s value in legacy, and if Liverpool is to evolve without regression, then leveraging that legacy is exactly the kind of soft-power move that helps sustain standards through a much-needed transition. Though it may not be easy to accept the end is near, the keywords of senior players and trusted staff will surely entice the Scotland captain to see the bigger picture, one that could see a raft of silverware attained before the end.

Milos Kerkez: Built for the Future and the Present

Kerkez isn’t just potential on paper — he’s already played over 60 times for Bournemouth, earned 23 caps for Hungary, and demonstrated an aggression and dynamism in possession that mirrors peak Robertson. He ranks in the Premier League’s upper tiers for progressive carries and successful pressures per 90, a sign that the fundamental tools are there to thrive in a Slot system predicated on proactive build-up and relentless counter-pressure. With his next phase of development to be overseen by the world-class head coach, Arne Slot, the pathway to the top looks promising for the incoming flyer.

Is Kerkez Ready?

But let’s be clear: as exciting as he is, Kerkez remains raw and untested in such an environment as Anfield. His positioning can be naive, and his decision-making under pressure isn’t yet where it needs to be for a Champions League-level club. The opportunity here isn’t to throw him in too early but to give him an extended education alongside a model professional who has done it at the highest level. I suspect Robbo will start the season in the first team, however, any on-pitch mistakes will only open the door for Milos.

Robertson knows how to defend in a low block, press in a high line, and contribute in every third of the pitch — a rare, complete profile. The issue is when he is overplayed and fatigue creates mistakes that were once a rarity. The need for rotation and understanding of the replacement process is key for both players, something which must be laid out over the coming months.

For Kerkez to shadow the experienced Premier League legend for a season while growing into the tactical responsibilities of Liverpool’s evolving setup, could prove invaluable for both club and asset. The club doesn’t need the Hungarian to be elite tomorrow — they just need him to absorb the right habits, and gradually take away the starting role which was once nailed on for his new teammate.

The Edwards Blueprint in Action

What this dynamic reveals is a new era of squad-building under Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes — proactive, layered, and emotionally intelligent. Rather than replace players in a panic, Liverpool is reintroducing succession planning with depth and intentionality. Milos Kerkez isn’t being bought because Robertson is finished, but because the club can no longer afford to wait for a decline before acting. The pressure is released for all parties and it allows a merger of competition and tutelage.

Kerkez will eventually need to make the position his own, but by integrating him gradually under the guidance of a still-high-level Robertson, Liverpool is betting on development without disruption.

In a way, this is a final challenge for Robbo — not to reinvent himself, but to extend his legacy beyond the pitch. If Kerkez becomes a star in red, there’s a good chance it’ll be because Robertson helped shape him into one. That’s how cultures are preserved and that’s how clubs stay great.