Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai is ‘the hope and pride’ of Hungarian football.
Aged just 22, Szoboszlai has already been named captain of his national team. His move to Liverpool this summer has only raised his profile even further.
And according to his former RB Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg manager Jesse Marsch, it’s really showing back in Hungary. In an interview with The Telegraph about Szoboszlai, Marsch says he saw the Liverpool man’s face ‘everywhere’ while on a recent holiday in Budapest.
“I was in Budapest on vacation with my family recently and Szobo’s face is everywhere,” says the American. “But he relishes that responsibility.
“He has known for years this was his path. This is the way it is supposed to go. He is the hope and pride of his nation, seen as ‘the next Puskas’. The vision for him was always clear when speaking to his father and agent at a young age.”
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Szoboszlai Hungary’s hero
There has been plenty of gushing words said about Szoboszlai over the past week. First, he drew praise for an excellent Anfield debut in last week’s win over Bournemouth.
Then, Hungary national team manager Marco Rossi compared him with Italian great Andrea Pirlo, while also proclaiming him as one of the best shooters of the past 50 years.
In the same interview with The Telegraph, Marsch himself predicts Szoboszlai to go on to be one of the best midfielders in the world.
So, it’s fair to say that there’s considerable excitement amongst Liverpool fans to see their No.8 in action again tomorrow.
Should he live up to all of this hype, then he’ll certainly be a very special player indeed. But the 22-year-old would do well to remember that nothing has been achieved just yet.
Some players arrive at Anfield and assume that they’ve already made it as footballers. But nothing could be further from the truth. This is where the hard work truly begins.
What stance Szoboszlai takes in the early days of his Liverpool career could determine whether he’s up for that slog. Thankfully, first impressions are very good. We’ve got a megastar on our hands, Reds.