Liverpool's New Star Milos Kerkez: The Fascinating Story Behind His Switch from Serbia to Hungary
During a conversation with nemzeti sport in October 2022, just after making his first appearance for Hungary's senior national team, Milos Kerkez shared his aspiration to represent "one of the elite clubs" in Spain's top division.
At that time, Kerkez was playing for AZ—marking the sixth team in a journey that started during his youth days at FK Vrbas in Serbia's northern region.
The English Premier League wasn't part of his considerations then. However, his time at Bournemouth proved pivotal, setting the stage for his move to newly crowned champions Liverpool as they begin a fresh era. Carrying a £40 million ($54.4 million) valuation and representing the fourth major acquisition in the club's record-breaking summer transfer window, expectations are substantial—particularly given the understanding that Kerkez is set to succeed beloved Anfield icon Andrew Robertson.
At just 21 years old, Kerkez has consistently shown confidence in his abilities. By his own account, the defender departed AC Milan—where he never featured for the senior squad—driven by his hunger for regular playing time. AZ benefited from this decision, and subsequent events have validated his choice.
Regarding international representation, Hungary wasn't the most apparent choice for Kerkez. Born in Serbia to Serbian parents, he lived there until age 10 before relocating to Austria to join Rapid Wien's youth development program. Kerkez hadn't actually resided in Hungary until nearly 16, when he joined the relatively unknown Hódmezővásárhelyi. He subsequently transferred to Győr, a more prominent Hungarian club where Kerkez made his professional debut in the nation's second division.
That marked his final period living and competing in Hungary—totaling less than two years before Paolo Maldini personally recruited him to Milan at 17 following his impressive performances at Győr. Despite his Serbian birth and formative years in Austria, Kerkez genuinely identifies as Hungarian.
Kerkez's birthplace and childhood home, Vrbas, sits within the autonomous region of Vojvodina. While officially part of Serbia, this territory historically belonged to Hungary—it maintains an alternative Hungarian designation, Verbász—and Hungarian ranks among six official languages, used alongside Serbian, Slovak, Romanian, Croatian and Pannonian Rusyn, a regional Slovak dialect.
Kerkez's eligibility stems from his paternal grandmother's Hungarian birth.
"Hungary was always my priority!" he declared to nemzeti sport in that previous interview. "My father and Hungarian grandmother would have supported this choice, as did I—there was never any doubt.
"I made this decision very early, at 14 years old, that if my career progressed to that level, I wanted to represent Hungary's national team. It's worth noting that Serbia never approached me while Hungary extended an invitation when I was 15. I feel valued here, along with my family, and that's something I'll always remember."
Kerkez initially played for Hungary's Under-17 team and advanced through the Under-21 ranks before earning his senior debut in a 1–0 UEFA Nations League victory against Germany.
Serbian authorities have disputed some of these statements. Kerkez's father, Sebastian, recently mentioned on a podcast that the Serbian football association "didn't appear very committed," which Belgrade promptly refuted. A Serbian official even countered by alleging that Kerkez selected Hungary primarily for easier access to EU citizenship.
In reality, given Kerkez's family background, Serbia may never have been a viable option regardless.