NewsMilos Kerkez interview: Why the game with Brighton is 'really important' for Liverpool
The Reds host Fabian Hurzeler's Seagulls at Anfield for a 3pm GMT kick-off, aiming to return to winning ways in the Premier League.
Arne Slot's side head into the encounter on the back of a Champions League victory over Internazionale and are hopeful of harnessing the momentum gathered from that result at San Siro.
"Every game in the Premier League is tough," Kerkez told Liverpoolfc.com. "That's what I learned when I came here. You have to be 100 per cent focused every game because everyone can beat everyone.
"But I'm sure now after the Inter game we will be ready physically, mentally and obviously we play at home.
"We have to bring back that feeling that when you play in Anfield you cannot play easily. Hopefully everyone will be ready. It will be an important three points."
On building on the midweek win, he added: "I think this was really important against Inter and I think now we have to continue with Brighton. It's going to be even more important to start to make points in the Premier League.
"Hopefully in the next few months we can do something else and fight for something."
Read on for the rest of the interview with the full-back…
On the win over Inter in midweek...
It was really important for confidence and for the boost in the team to bring back the consistency that we need in the future games. Of course, we fight also in the Champions League to be there in the top eight to go through. [It was] a really good win and a tough place to go. [It was] important.
On taking belief from the victory at San Siro...
They were unbeaten for a lot of games and [they're] a good team and tough to play against. It's important for confidence. Big games are coming up for us, and I think we are really close together and it's a really good group. It's going to be important, like I say, for future games.
On the togetherness of the squad and aiming to turn recent results around...
We have to do it or at least we have to try to give our best – but I know it'll come good. The group is really, really together and we are really close to each other. We really want to turn things around and I want to do it a lot, the guys want it a lot, everyone wants [to]. We have to do [it].
On the benefit of being rotated in and out of the team with a busy schedule...
It's the first time for me that I play every three days. I'm still getting used to it but at the end of the day it's the coach's decision and you cannot go against it. Obviously I have here Robbo [Andy Robertson] next to me who is a great player and a big name here and did big things at the club. We are pushing each other a lot. It's a positive competition and I'm learning a lot from him. Everyone wants to play everything, especially me, but it's a coach's decision always and, of course, it's good for the legs to take rest and take care of the injuries. I feel good.
On the competition for places and whether it brings out the best in him...
Especially me, I always like to compete and show the best version of myself. I think it's always important and especially to have competition like Robbo. You have to always – if you're playing good, if you have competition like that – you have to continue to do good. You know if you don't have competition then maybe it's possible playing top and you start to drop and then you need someone to pick you back up again. I think it's really important. It's Liverpool, so there's a lot of games and you need only the best players here. That's what we have.
On securing two clean sheets in the last four games...
We talk a lot about it and [it's] just doing the basics good to make the clean sheets. We started with West Ham and it was really important for Ali [Alisson Becker] and for the goalkeepers it's also important. We want to make it that we don't concede so much and that we make the clean sheets and win games. I think it's also important to have clean sheets, especially for us as defenders and goalkeepers.
On building his understanding with the rest of the defence and his teammates...
It's coming. We do a lot of video analysis and we talk between each other with the coach and everything. With time everything comes good and in the last few weeks some results were not great and some were good. I think we're coming good together and when you're new – a few new players came – you need some time. I know how it was for me when I went to Bournemouth. You need time, but what is most important is that you're willing to take on everything – competition and to learn and improve. I'm like that. I know with time everything will be good in the team.
On compatriot Dominik Szoboszlai's form this season...
He was great last year and won the title and everything. I would say this year he's taken it to another level. I never saw a player play so many positions somewhere. He can really do it. I'm really happy for him and he's helping the team a lot, and also when the team didn't play as well he was pushing us to catch up and help out and play well. He's been really important – he runs a lot, defends, attacks and does everything. It's good to have him here and hopefully he will continue because we need him for a whole season and hopefully also for many years here.
On Szoboszlai's character and leadership in the dressing room...
It's important. We have a great character in Virgil [van Dijk] as a captain and he helps a lot. Ali is there, Mo [Salah] is helping a lot, Robbo, all the guys that are much more experienced than us. They went through everything and it's really helpful to have them here. Obviously when the results weren't so great they came and spoke and really motivated us and that we have to do things different here because this is Liverpool. Especially him [Szoboszlai], he's also a very good friend of mine and I've known him since I was 17 or 18, so I know how he is. He's really important. He's a great captain for us in the national team and a great character there and really important also there.