So far throughout his career, Dominik Szoboszlai has lived and worked in Hungary, Austria, Germany, and the United Kingdom. David Lynch gets an inside look at the remarkable career of the Liverpool FC No.8 by talking to the player’s former managers.
FOR THIS PURPOSE ONLY, ANFIELD
Perhaps because he was so taken with it, Jesse Marsch best captures the sentiment shared by all of Szoboszlai’s former coaches, who all agree that he has always possessed a confidence verging on arrogance.
The 18-year-old’s incredible talent was equaled only by his own conviction that he would fulfill it, and the American coach remembers with fondness his first meeting with ‘Szobo’ after being appointed Red Bull Salzburg leader in 2019.
This trait has undoubtedly helped Szoboszlai on his rapid rise, which culminated in a £60 million transfer to Anfield this summer. Since then, he has become the driving force behind what Jurgen Klopp is calling “Liverpool 2.0.”
However, this result was far from assured when he was violating cultural norms during a formative period of his career in the Austrian Bundesliga.
Marsch tells This Is Anfield, “I’d spoken to Szobo a little bit previously, but the first day I showed up, you could see he had such confidence about him. It verges on arrogance, but it’s genuine all the same.
“He has always known he was going to be a major player; he just has faith in himself. I’m attracted to men with similar traits; I prefer confident gentlemen.
Although the German language is slightly different in Austria, there is a word, “demütig,” that meaning “humble” in German. Germans don’t appreciate arrogance, so if you say something like, “He should stay humble,” you’re insulting them.
But I’m not like them; I’m an American! Consequently, I was instantly attracted to him.
He was still young and inexperienced, and he needed direction in learning how to put his self-assurance to good use on the field.
But I saw him play the year before, and I liked him a lot, and I saw a bright future for him in the scheme I had in mind for the team’s development.
Tight-fisted, laser-focused, and a natural
The RB Leipzig team poses for a portrait before their match against Manchester City FC in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 on March 14, 2023, at the City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England. Man City won the match 7-0 and the series 8-1. Willi Orbán, Josko Gvardiol, Konrad Laimer, Dominik Szoboszlai, Emil Forsberg, and Janis Blaswich are pictured in the back row, from left to right. Benjamin Henrichs, Amadou Haidara, Kevin Kampl, Timo Werner, and David Raum make up the front row, from left to right. (Photo by Jessica Hornby/Advertising)
Those who are familiar with the Szoboszlai family often attribute Szoboszlai’s unwavering confidence to his father, Zsolt, a former professional footballer who played in Hungary and the lower divisions of Austria.
Locals in Székesfehérvár recall that Dominik was raised in a strict household, a legacy of his father’s ambition to see his son surpass him as a player.
It is commonly known that Szoboszlai was forced to wear smaller boots than he needed to develop his dexterity, but it is less well known that as a child whose primary emphasis had to be training, he was rarely allowed permission to socialize with friends.
Since there has been no clear return on autocratic prime minister Viktor Orban’s £2 billion investment in football since 2010, many Hungarians defended Zsolt’s decision to forego the country’s conventional youth development pathway.
Zsolt’s 2007 disagreement with the club led to him and his son being fired from their positions as youth coach and player for Fehérvár FC (then known as Videoton due to a sponsorship relationship with a local electronics manufacturer).
Dominik Szoboszlai of Hungary trains at the Cardiff City Stadium on Monday, November 18, 2019 in preparation for Tuesday’s UEFA Euro 2020 Qualifying Group E match between Wales and Hungary. Picture by David Rawcliffe/Stooges
Szoboszlai Sr. decided to start his own academy, Fonix Gold, with stringent admissions requirements and a priority on coaching in smaller groups to promote one-on-one contact among students.
Szoboszlai did quite well in this setting, yet there is a fascinating anecdote from around this time about how a consensus formed locally that he was too slow to compete at the highest levels.
The young midfielder’s success at his father’s academy quickly dispelled that misconception, and he was immediately recognized on the world stage.
Michael Boris, a German coach who oversaw the Hungarian U19 team and was soon to take charge of the U21 squad, saw Szoboszlai when he was 15 years old.
As Boris recalls, “You have to have a look at this young guy,” was a recommendation from Bernd Storck, then the sporting director of the Hungarian federation.
I took him to Armenia with the U19s after he had played with the U17s for two weeks.
“He got some playing time in the second game, and from then on I knew I had to take him right away if I was going to be the U21s coach.
You could tell he was different from the other U17s players, therefore [he] had to play with older men.
First of all, his set-pieces, free-kicks, and technical footing were superb. Secondly, he is currently one of the Premier League’s hardest-working players, a trait that was evident even at a young age.
While playing in an offensive position, he still worked hard defensively, which is unusual for a traditional No. 10.
One who is both “crazy” and “clever”
In addition to his technical skill, Szoboszlai shown his signature bravery by stepping into the shoes of his more seasoned teammates.
When asked about the quality of his side’s midfielders, Boris said, “We had guys like Daniel Gazdag, who now plays for the senior national team and is highly successful.
But Dominik, he always rushed forward to take the free kicks and try to score.
I had to explain that there was a certain sequence, and that the older player should attempt it first, and if it doesn’t work, he should try it.
To be fair, he was a bit mischievous for his age, but it was all in good fun. His free-kick shooting was also a clear indication of his talent.
To paraphrase, “there is a touch of negativity in the word arrogance, but he had confidence, a good self-confidence in himself, and knowledge of how to survive against older players.”
After making waves on the global stage, foreign companies began taking notice, with Red Bull at the front of the line thanks to their legendary scouting network.
But before a move could be finalized, Szoboszlai was forced to spend time in the academy of a top-flight team, for reasons that even those close to the arrangement aren’t exactly able to understand at this point.
For that reason, he transferred to MTK Budapest for a year, when Zsolt Szekely finally got to witness the local phenomenon he had heard so much about from friends.
He was naturally taken aback by what he seen and reflects, “He was very, very intelligent – a genius!
He had a keen eye for talent and never gave the ball to a player who wasn’t up to his standards.
“If he thought a good player had a chance to score, he would sometimes pass behind him instead of in front of him, so that he would get the ball back and then score,” the coach said.
Szoboszlai’s ascendance to power among his contemporaries is illustrated by Szekely in a tale.
He recalls, “He won a championship with the U17s, but the U16s needed to win their final game to clinch the title as well.”
Thus, he returned to aid us, scoring four goals and dishing out three assists in our 8-0 victory. What a nut job he is.
The skill of assimilating instruction
Szoboszlai, being so young, obviously had a lot to learn; nonetheless, his confidence has served him well thus far in his brief career.
I had a notion that he didn’t work hard enough,” Szekely continues.
When I wasn’t happy with his performance in a game, I had a talk with his dad, who felt the same way.
I had a talk with Szoby and warned him that he would be benched even in his own age group if he didn’t start working harder.
That evening, he texted me, “Did you mean this, Zsolt?'” The next day, he trained hard and performed beautifully.’
He had a very robust mind that never wavered. As a result of knowing his obligations, he fulfilled them. In all candor, his dad encouraged him and directed him in the right directions. I attribute a great deal of his accomplishments to his paternal role models.
After arriving in Salzburg, Marsch recalls that it was sometimes difficult to get Szoboszlai to take lessons from anybody other than his father.
He explains, “At first, he didn’t want to hear me out when I was critical of him.
I watched nearly every single one of his practices and games with him on tape.
With young, gifted players like that, it’s all about helping them reach their potential and generating an accelerated learning curve, so we’d sit down and I’d chat to him.
Then they experience what I call “the click,” which is when they suddenly realize what they’ve been missing and can finally take off.
“At first, Szobo was like, ‘Yeah, that’s not the best example.’
But we had a strong bond of trust and friendship, and I was always encouraging him to stretch himself.
“That became one of his defining characteristics after it finally clicked with him.”
Realizing his potential
Szoboszlai’s career took off after he had this epiphany; he won four Austrian Bundesliga titles, three Austrian cups, and two DFB-Pokals during his time at Salzburg and Leipzig, paving the way for his transfer to Liverpool, his ultimate goal.
Now he’s gunning for more at Anfield, where his decision to wear the legendary No. 8 jersey has prompted unbelievable early comparisons to Steven Gerrard.
His tireless running, forceful drives in the middle, and unstoppable long-range shots are all reminiscent of a particular someone, but his Scouse accent may use some work.
Perhaps not surprisingly for a player who has been a Hungarian legend since being selected his country’s captain at the tender age of 22, Szoboszlai’s capacity to flourish under pressure has been the most noticeable Gerrard attribute exhibited by him thus far.
“I’m living in Budapest, and you can see now a lot of Liverpool shirts with the No. 8 and Szoboszlai on the back,” Boris says.
After Sunday’s FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and West Ham United FC at Anfield, Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp celebrates with Dominik Szoboszlai. Picture by David Rawcliffe/Stooges
Everyone is happy for him that he made it to Liverpool and is doing well there. Previously, I was unsure as to whether or not all Liverpool games were aired, but it is now very evident that this is the case.
Perhaps it’s simpler to carry the weight of high expectations when you’re just doing what you’ve always known was your destiny.
And according to Marsch, another high-profile star who has just taken the Premier League by storm has the same mentality as Szoboszlai.
He explains, “On the day Dominik signed with Liverpool, I received a note from his agent saying, ‘This was our vision from the very beginning, and you helped Dominik get there.
“Szobo had this unwavering confidence in himself and this image of himself as a star player for the world’s top clubs.
This is an outward expression of his self-assurance and self-belief. Erling [Haaland] is the same, despite what others may perceive as arrogance on his part.
It’s fascinating because Erling and Szobo got along famously in Salzburg and probably taught each other a thing or two.
Because of their passion, talent, belief, devotion, work ethic, and drive to get better, I could tell that both of them will one day be considered among the world’s finest players.
They had a different idea of where they wanted to go than the rest of the team. That won’t be a problem, in my opinion, as long as Szobo is around.
The future holds more.
Dominik Szoboszlai of Liverpool celebrates his team’s opening goal against Aston Villa FC in an FA Premier League match at Anfield on September 2, 2023. Picture by David Rawcliffe/Stooges
What now for him, having arrived at a place where he can finally fulfill his full potential under the tutelage of a master coach like Jurgen Klopp?
Dominance across the globe, say those most familiar with Szoboszlai.
Two or three years ago, when he moved from Austria to Germany, they questioned me how good he can be,” explains Boris.
He’s stronger and better than Kai Havertz, I replied, and it’s because he has a can-do work ethic.
You can play with him on the No. 8 and he’s a terrific worker, or he can play the 10 with less defensive work.
In addition, his technique is top-notch, his long-range shooting is superb, and his free-kicks are deadly. His work ethic is commendable, and I share it.
Even Marsch refers back to his previous statements about Szoboszlai, which he feels highlight the room for improvement.
In other interviews he has said, “The gap between him and Erling is not very wide.”
“I knew that physically he would be able to be dominant, even though they’re different positions and have different impacts on the game.
I anticipated Szobo’s success because of his skill and brains on the football field.
“He’s started off strong, but there are a lot of little things he can improve upon,” the coach said. “I think he will develop and get better as he continues to play.”
If there’s one thing we know about Dominik Szoboszlai today, it’s that his efforts to improve won’t be hampered by a lack of confidence.