Dominik Szoboszlai has vowed to step up and ‘take responsibility’ as a leader in a Liverpool squad which continues to undergo a major transition.
Following on from a plethora of signings and exits last summer, the Reds will soon lose two of their longest-serving stalwarts in Mo Salah and Andy Robertson when they leave the club at the end of this season.
Those departures will create a massive leadership void to be filled within the dressing room, and the Hungarian midfielder has promised to assume added responsibility in helping younger teammates and acting as a ‘bridge’ between them and veterans like Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker.
Szoboszlai spoke to the media on Monday afternoon to preview the Champions League quarter-final second leg against Paris Saint-Germain, and he was asked if he’s ready to step up and become a leader within the LFC squad.
He replied (via Liverpool Echo): “I think so, yes. I’ve captained Hungary for five years, so I have experience in how to deal with it.
“As long as we have these kind of players like Mo, Virgil and Ali, we have experience, but if they need help for younger ones then I am happy to help and take responsibility to be there for them and be the connection between them and the even younger players if they need me.”
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Liverpool have seen plenty of influential on-field leaders depart over the past three years, with Jordan Henderson and James Milner leaving in 2023, then vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold going to Real Madrid last summer, and the aforementioned Salah and Robertson moving on in a few weeks’ time.
It’s entirely plausible that Van Dijk and Alisson will also be leaving for pastures new over the next 12 to 24 months, so that’s a massive amount of experience which needs replacing, and the time has come for new leaders to emerge within the dressing room.
Szoboszlai would appear to be a prime candidate to do just that. In addition to captaining Hungary for several years, he’s at an age whereby he already has an abundance of high-level experience whilst still having most of his career ahead of him.
He’s also led by example with his performances on the pitch this season, having been Liverpool’s most consistent performer throughout a wretched campaign for the team as a whole, and he was mature enough to apologise for his reaction towards LFC fans who vented their fury at the end of the recent 4-0 drubbing by Manchester City.
His mentality shone through after that game when he fronted up on behalf of his teammates and confessed that they didn’t show enough ‘fighting spirit’ at the Etihad Stadium, with the 25-year-old evidently scorned by how the Reds performed that afternoon.
The captaincy will be up for grabs after Van Dijk departs (currently projected for June 2027). If the Hungarian midfielder follows through on his promise to the media today, he could well be among the main contenders to assume that huge honour at Anfield.
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