Dominik Szoboszlai’s career to date has taken him from Hungary to Austria, Germany and England.
Here, David Lynch chats to former Liverpool FC No.
8 managers in an exclusive look at its impressive history – so far!
EXCLUSIVE FOR THIS IS ANFIELD
Perhaps because he was so passionate about it, Jesse Marsch best summed up the feelings of many of Szoboszlai’s former coaches in that he always possessed a confidence that bordered on arrogance.
The American coach has unforgettable memories of his first meeting with 18-year-old “Szobo” after being appointed head of Red Bull Salzburg in 2019, and recalls being overwhelmed by a player has outstanding talent never seen before.
as was his own belief that he would accomplish it.
That quality has clearly stood Szoboszlai in good stead as his rapid rise continued this summer with a ÂŁ60m move to Anfield, where he quickly became the heart of what Jurgen Klopp calls it “Liverpool 2.
0″.
But that result was by no means guaranteed as he defied cultural norms during a crucial period of his career in the Austrian Bundesliga.
Marsch told This is Anfield:
“I talked to Szobo a little bit before, but the first day I arrived you could see he was very confident.
That’s borderline arrogant, but it’s true.
“He just believes in himself and he always believes that he will become a great player.
I’m attracted to those types of personalities, I like guys who have a bit of arrogance about them.
“Germany and Austria are a little different, but in German there is the word “demütig” which means modest.
And if you say to someone something like, “He should be humble,” it’s an insult, because in German they don’t like arrogance.
“But I’m different, I’m American!
” So I was immediately attracted to him.
“He is still young, a bit raw and still needs guidance on how to use his confidence to help him as a player.
“But I watched him play last year and I really liked him and I think he has a big future with the way I’m going to take the team forward.
Strict, focused and born for it
“He just believes in himself and he always believes that he will become a great player.
I’m attracted to those types of personalities, I like guys who have a bit of arrogance about them.
“Germany and Austria are a little different, but in German there is the word “demütig” which means modest.
And if you say to someone something like, “He should be humble,” it’s an insult, because in German they don’t like arrogance.
“But I’m different, I’m American!
” So I was immediately attracted to him.
“He is still young, a bit raw and still needs guidance on how to use his confidence to help him as a player.
“But I watched him play last year and I really liked him and I think he has a big future with the way I’m going to take the team forward.
”
Strict, focused and born for it
It was Szoboszlai’s father, Zsolt, a former professional soccer player who played in his native Hungary and in Austria’s lower leagues, who was often credited by family acquaintances with cultivating self-confidence.
This strong news.
The people of SzĂ©kesfehĂ©rvár also remember Dominik growing up in a strict environment, thanks to his father’s determination that his own football career would be surpassed by his son.
It was well known that Szoboszlai had to wear boots that were smaller than necessary to improve his dexterity, but it was even worse that he was rarely allowed to socialize with his friends as a child for the purpose of The main goal must be training.
Zsolt’s bloody will even extended to the point of withdrawing from the traditional path of Hungarian youth development – a decision that many later considered justified because it did not bring a clear return on the investment 2 billion pounds of dictatorial Prime Minister Viktor Orban into football since 2010.
He and his son were coaches and players in the youth team of local club Fehérvár FC (then called Videoton due to a sponsorship deal with a local electronics manufacturer) until Zsolt was involved in a disagreement that led to a breakup in 2007.
Instead of looking for another academy, Szoboszlai Snr chose to establish his own academy, named Fonix Gold, with strict selection criteria and a focus on small group coaching for increased personal contact.
Szoboszlai thrived in this environment, although one rather notable story from this era involves the local consensus that he would never be fast enough to reach the elite level.
Of course, this legend did not last long, the young midfielder’s achievements in his father’s academy quickly earned him recognition at the international level.
At that moment, young 15-year-old Szoboszlai appeared in the sights of Michael Boris, the German coach who was then leading Hungary’s U19 and was about to lead the U21.
Boris recalls:
“Bernd Storck was the sporting director of the Hungarian federation and he said: ‘You have to look at this young man’.
“Two weeks ago, he played with the U17 team and I took him with the U19 team to Armenia.
“In the second game, he came on for a few minutes and from that moment it was clear that if I wanted to be an Under-21 coach, I had to get him back as soon as possible.
“[He has to] play with older people because compared to other U17s, you can see he is different.
“First of all, the free kicks, the free kicks, the technical background is incredible, but I think at the moment he is one of the best runners in the Premier League and you can see that too in young players.
“Normally, a typical number 10 doesn’t play defense but prefers to play striker, but he did everything even when playing in an attacking position.
A “crazy” and “smart” genius
In addition to this technical prowess, Szoboszlai also showed his characteristic confidence as he tried to take charge against his more experienced teammates.
Boris said:
“We have players like Daniel Gazdag, who now plays for the senior national team and is very successful, so we have a lot of good midfielders.
“But Dominik, with every free kick, he looks towards the ball and wants to shoot!
“I had to explain that there was a request and the older players had to try it, then if it didn’t taste good they could do it.
“But at that age he was a bit mischievous – but that was a positive thing.
And you can see the quality of his shots from free kicks.
“There is a bit of a negative in the word arrogant, but he has confidence in himself, good confidence and knows how to survive against older players.
A breakout on the international stage meant it was not long until attention from abroad followed, with Red Bull heading up the queue thanks to their famously extensive scouting network.
But, for reasons that even those close to the deal aren’t quite able to clarify at this point, Szoboszlai was required to spend time in the academy of a top-flight side before a move could be signed off.
For that reason, he made the switch to nearby MTK Budapest for 12 months, and it is there, after years of hearing about this local wonderkid through friends, that Zsolt Szekely first got to see him up close.
Inevitably, he was stunned by what he saw, and recalls: “He was very, very clever – a genius!
“He knew who was a good player and who wasn’t, and he never passed the ball to someone who wasn’t good enough for him.
“Sometimes, if he saw there was a good player who might score, he wouldn’t pass the ball in front of them but a little bit behind him so he would give back the ball again and then he could score.”
Szekely tells one story in particular that paints a picture of just how dominant Szoboszlai had become among his peers.
He says: “He became a champion with the U17s, but the U16s had one last game and had to win it to become champions too.
“So came back to us to help us… and scored four goals and gave three assists as we won 8-0. He’s a crazy guy.”
The art of learning the lesson
Of course, in his younger years, Szoboszlai still had a lot to learn, but, as usual in his short career, his confident personality often got him through.
Szekely adds:
“Sometimes I feel like he doesn’t work hard enough.
“There was one match where I wasn’t happy with him and I spoke to his dad, who was also angry because it wasn’t enough.
“I talked to Szoby and told him that if he didn’t train harder, I would put him on the bench, even at his age.
“That day he practiced well and the next day he played great, and that night he texted me:
“Is that what you mean, Zsolt?
“He always had a very strong spirit.
He knew what he had to do and he did it.
To be honest, his father was always behind him, always telling him what to do.
So I think one of the biggest factors in his success is his father.
Marsch also remembers sometimes having difficulty convincing Szoboszlai to take shipboard lessons from anyone other than his father when he arrived in Salzburg.
He says:
“At first, when I criticized him, he didn’t want to listen to me.
“I had so many live video sessions with him, almost every training session, almost every game.
“We will sit down and talk to him because with such talented young players, the aim is to help them realize their potential and create a rapid learning curve.
“Then what I call the ‘trigger,’ when they start to understand exactly what’s needed, it hits them all at once, and that’s when they succeed.
“At first, Szobo said, ‘Yeah, that’s not the best example.
“But he and I have trust and a good relationship and I constantly push him to do more, be more, play harder, not to be satisfied.
“In the end, it really impressed him and became one of the things about him.
”Fulfill your destiny
That realization set Szoboszlai ablaze, with spells at Salzburg and Leipzig bringing him four Austrian Bundesliga titles, three Austrian Cups and two DFB-Pokal, and laying the foundations for his dream move to Liverpool.
Older brother.
He is now bidding for more at Anfield, where his decision to wear the iconic No.
8 shirt has sparked early comparisons with Steven Gerrard, which surprisingly seems to have a legality number.
There is certainly a certain familiarity with his tireless running, powerful attacks in midfield and unstoppable long-range shots – although the Scouse accent perhaps needs work.
But Gerrard’s most outstanding trait highlighted by Szoboszlai so far is his ability to thrive under pressure, which is perhaps unsurprising for a player who has been an icon for Hungary since he was elected to the team.
leader of his country at the age of 22.
As Boris explains:
“I live in Budapest and now you can see a lot of Liverpool shirts with the number 8 and Szoboszlai on the back.
“Everyone is proud that this guy came to Liverpool and played well.
I don’t know if they broadcast all Liverpool matches before but now they obviously broadcast all matches.
Perhaps it’s easier to meet lofty expectations when you’re simply fulfilling what you’ve long believed to be your destiny.
And, according to Marsch, Szoboszlai shares that mindset with another top star who has also recently taken the Premier League by storm.
He says:
“I got a letter from his agent the day he signed for Liverpool and he said: ‘This has been our vision from day one and you helped Dominik turn it into realistic.
“Szobo always had faith in himself and the vision that he would play for the biggest clubs in the world and become their best player.
“It’s part of his confidence and belief in himself.
” Some people might see that as arrogance, but so does Erling [Haaland].
“It’s interesting because Erling and Szobo had a very good relationship in Salzburg and I think they learned a lot from each other.
“But I can see in both of them that they will become one of the best players in the world because of their enthusiasm, talent, belief, commitment, work ethic and desire to get better.
their.
“Their view of themselves is different from that of most players.
I don’t think this will be a problem for Szobo.
There’s more to come
So, having reached the destination where he can fulfill his enormous potential under the guidance of a master coach like Jurgen Klopp, what happens next?
According to those who know Szoboszlai best:
dominate the world.
Boris said:
“They asked me two or three years ago, when he left Austria for Germany, how well he could play.
“I said that compared to Kai Havertz, he is stronger and better and that’s because he has that attitude.
“He has the ability to play number 10 with less defensive work but we can also play him at number eight and he is a real worker.
“Along with that, he also has incredible technique and his long-range shooting ability and free-kicks are also incredible.
So he has that mentality of doing it and I think it’s perfect.
Marsch also reflected on his own previous comments about Szoboszlai, which he said highlighted the potential for future growth.
He says:
“In previous interviews I said that the difference between him and Erling in terms of talent is not that big.
“They are in different positions and have different impacts on the game, but I know that physically he will be able to dominate.
“And with Szobo’s technique and football intelligence, I knew he would be very good.
“He has been taken over but when I see him play, there are still a lot of things he can do better and I think he will mature and improve as he continues to play.
”And if we know one thing about Dominik Szoboszlai at this point, it’s that his drive to progress further will certainly not be hindered by a lack of confidence.
