Dominik Szoboszlai has been praised for adjusting to life at Liverpool so quickly.
Szoboszlai has been an instant hit with Reds fans since his move from RB Leipzig this summer. A superb first goal for club against Aston Villa on Sunday hinted at what is to come from the 22-year-old.
Having already displayed that quality for Leipzig and the Hungary national team, Szoboszlai’s success won’t have been a surprise to many. And speaking to Hungarian outlet Nemzeti Sport, Dom’s compatriot and former Leipzig colleague Willi Orban says he falls into that camp.
“That’s just how football is, so if an opportunity comes, you have to take it,” Orban says of Szoboszlai’s move to Anfield.
“It’s a big deal that he’s signed for a big club like Liverpool. Despite changing teams and countries, he quickly settled in and got accepted. Let’s just say it didn’t surprise me, I know what a great guy he is.”
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Szoboszlai success not a surprise
Of course it’s still very early days for Szoboszlai at Liverpool and we shouldn’t get carried away.
Many will remember that Naby Keita had a similar – if not quite as explosive – start to his Reds career, before gradually fading away.
Having said that, few players have come into Liverpool with quite so much guarantee of success as Szoboszlai has.
It hasn’t just been his performances on the pitch, it’s been his attitude off it. Perhaps even more so. While plenty have wilted under the pressure of playing for such a big club, Szoboszlai has just never seemed bothered.
Already captaining his country ahead of relative veterans like Orban, you can see where he gets the confidence from.
For now, that laser-focused self belief looks very well justifiable. If Liverpool’s No.8 can keep on this kind of trajectory, he’s going to have one heck of a Reds career.
The way he’s spoken about by those who know him well, that seems like almost being a formality. But hard work is still ahead for Szoboszlai. He’s made a good start, now it’s time to kick it up a notch.