The Reds moved quickly to meet the buyout clause in his contract with Hungarian side RB Leipzig and he wasted little time endearing himself to the Kop.
A significant number of Liverpool supporters spent the international break literally singing the praises of Dominik Szoboszlai – it’s both impressive and telling. First, the Hungarian arrived at Anfield only in the summer. Second, he doesn’t have the kind of last name that lends itself to writing rhymes.
Szoboszlai is not easy to pronounce or spell – as Liverpool already found out. In the pre-season friendly against Bayern Munich on August 8, there was a printing error on the back of the summer signing’s shirt – which did not go unnoticed.
“You’ll eventually learn to spell Szoboszlai, trust us,” the RB Leipzig manager humorously noted on.
Fans wasted little time getting used to the name – mainly because Szoboszlai wasted so little time endearing Kop.
Inspired by Gerrard
It probably helped that he confirmed shortly after joining that he has a tattoo inspired by club legend Steven Gerrard, which reads: “Regulation is a blessing from God, but without incredible will and humility it is worthless.” On first impression, it was clearly excellent.
But what is really encouraging is that these do not seem like empty words. Szoboszlai’s talent, drive and humility were evident in the first few weeks of his Liverpool career, which is why fans took to his new number so quickly.
He talked about keeping his feet on the ground, not looking too far ahead and just focusing on repaying the club’s faith in him. Of course, the fact that he accepted Gerrard’s old number so readily shows that Szoboszlai is not lacking in confidence, but it also shows that he doesn’t shy away from a challenge either. This was evident in his first four Premier League games
Spectacular start
Szoboszlai’s wide range of skills has rightly attracted a lot of attention. The versatile midfielder has shown an excellent range of passes and a striking ability to evade challenges with style, but it was no surprise that he opened his account last time out with a superb strike against Aston Villa.
It was always believed that Szoboszlai’s long-range shots and passes would add an extra dimension to Liverpool’s attacking play. However, his field of activity came as a very pleasant surprise to those who saw little of Szoboszla in Leipzig or Red Bull Salzburg. The result is that the 22-year-old is already seeing Liverpool’s midfield at home – remarkable as some players have previously required a lot of time to cope with Jurgen Klopp’s demands.
However, a couple of coaches who worked closely with Szoboszlai called it out. Hungary’s former assistant coach Giovanni Costantino told the Daily Mail: “Look, I don’t believe the people who say Dominik needs time to adapt to the Premier League. I think he will have an impact from the start.”
Meanwhile, former Leipzig and Salzburg coach Jesse Marsch labeled £60m for Szoboszlai “a steal” and compared it to Manchester City’s £51m deal for another of his former charges, Erling Haaland.
“They are footballers with a different profile,” the American explained in an interview with The Telegraph. “Erling has the ability to change the game because he can score at will. His speed and power are unsurpassed.
“But Szobo has the talent and technical ability to use a physical package that makes him unique. There are not many players with his physical stature who can run like he does with his intelligence. The thing is, these two are destined to be. two of the best in the world at their positions.”
Haaland has arguably already achieved that goal by tearing up the Premier League in his first season at the Eithad – the question is, can Szoboszlai follow suit at Anfield?
“More mobile and dynamic than Beckham
His potential has long been evident to those who have followed his career since he made his professional debut with Salzburg Liefering’s reserve team in 2017 as a 16-year-old. When Marsch settled in Salzburg, he discovered an exciting talent that he called “today’s David Beckham”.
“With the ball on his right foot, he can put it wherever he wants. The accuracy and speed he can put on the ball is ridiculous,” enthused Marsch. “And I say ‘modern’ because he is more mobile and more dynamic [than Beckham].
The comparison to Beckham is also somewhat apt due to his popularity and celebrity status in Hungary, which has brought incredible and intense scrutiny. For years, he has been dealing with the talk that he is “the next Ferenc Puskas”. The point, however, is that Szoboszlai seems completely oblivious to such pressure. On the contrary, he seems content with it, which is why he didn’t think twice about taking Gerrard’s No. 8 shirt.
“That’s his mindset,” Costantino said. “It’s a big responsibility, but Dominik is not afraid of responsibility. So he just needs the support of the fans.”
But he already got it, as numerous Szoboszlai inspired
