Vladimir Smicer has said that Liverpool have a ‘complete’ player who reminds him of a one-time Ballon D’Or winner, and who the Reds simply ‘cannot lose’.
One of the few positives from the 2025/26 season for LFC has been Dominik Szoboszlai, whose tally of 12 goals makes him our second-highest scorer for the campaign despite the midfielder having to deputise at right-back on several occasions.
There have been intermittent rumours of interest in the Hungarian from Real Madrid, although his agent has emphatically shut down any such speculation surrounding the 25-year-old.
Speaking exclusively to Empire of the Kop (in association with BetVictor), Smicer heaped praise on Szoboszlai’s qualities as a footballer, which remind him of a former Czech Republic teammate from the 1990s and 2000s.
The ex-Liverpool attacker said: “Dominik has improved in every game. It’s unbelievable. He can play right-back, midfield, defensive midfield, attacking midfield. He can play many positions and he’s still good, so it’s a priority to keep him.
“Liverpool cannot lose him. He’s got a big heart, he’s fighting, he’s pressing, he’s running, he’s a quality player, he’s a very complete player, can do everything, he can score goals.
“For me, he’s definitely the player to build the team with him or around him. He’s a very, very important part of the team. If you want to improve your team, you always need to keep your best players, and he’s definitely one of our best players this season.
“He actually reminds me of Pavel Nedved, my former teammate. Pavel was hard-working, running, tackling, doing the hard passes, but then around the box he was deadly. He would shoot from distance on his left and his right, It was a tough job for the goalkeeper. Szoboszlai is like that.”
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For younger Liverpool fans, it’s worth noting that Smicer’s comparison of Szoboszlai to Nedved is a major compliment – the latter won the Ballon D’Or in 2003, the same year in which he starred for the Juventus team which reached the Champions League final (which he missed through suspension).
He was also the star of the Czech Republic side which had arguably been the strongest team at Euro 2004, only to go off injured in their semi-final defeat to eventual champions Greece, and many felt that the Czechs would’ve triumphed had he not been forced off in that fateful match.
Many of the qualities that he possessed in his prime (as outlined by Smicer) are also exhibited by the Reds’ current number 8, who combines an industriousness in midfield with sublime playmaking abilities and a knack for astounding goals.
As terrible as this season has been for Liverpool, it’s frightening to think of how much worse off we’d be if we didn’t have Szoboszlai, who thankfully has been available for all but two matches (both due to suspension).
Indeed, if you take away his goals, the Reds would have four fewer points in the Premier League and would currently be eighth in the table.
Smicer played alongside a man who was deemed the best player in Europe 23 years ago, so he knows world-class talent when he sees it. For him to compare Szoboszlai to Nedved speaks volumes of how brilliant our number 8 has been.
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