THE HUNGER GAMES

Kerkez: Pressure is when a family can't put food on the table, not playing football – that's just doing a job

- BY SIMON MULLOCK

MILOS KERKEZ has no doubts he can handle the expectation that comes with the Liverpool shirt - after learning what real pressure looks like when he was just a kid.

The Anfield club paid Bournemouth £40million for the Serbia-born Hungary left-back.

And the 21-year-old said he realised that he was taking a huge step up in class - purely from the pace of the passing he encountered in his very first training session with the Reds.

Kerkez insists he is ready for the challenge.

That's thanks to a childhood spent on the tough streets of his hometown Vrbas - and to a career path that has brought him to Liverpool via spells in Hungary, Italy and Holland after coming through the ranks in Serbian and Austrian youth football.

"I don't feel pressure anywhere," said Kerkez, who is hoping to be in Arne Slot's team for the Community Shield clash with Crystal Palace at Wembley this afternoon.