Rio Ferdinand has never been a popular figure at Liverpool and his latest comments are not going to please anyone either.
The former Manchester United player enjoyed tremendous success with the Red Devils much to Liverpool’s dismay during his playing career. Since then, he has moved into punditry roles, and has at times offered great analysis.
However, his recent verdict on Liverpool fan favourite Dominik Szoboszlai could prove to be quite controversial.
Ferdinand not entirely impressed by Dominik Szoboszlai
When Szoboszlai first arrived at Anfield, he immediately won the hearts of supporters before even stepping a toe on the pitch. Choosing the number eight shirt and having a Steven Gerrard quote tattooed on his arm was enough to get fans excited.
His long-range goals and highlight reels, combined with his new number, naturally earned him a lot of comparisons with Gerrard. Comparisons that were not far-fetched based on glimpses he has shown in a Liverpool shirt so far.
But Ferdinand, who of course, shared a dressing room with Gerrard for the England national team, is not quite convinced by the comparisons.
Speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Presents Five podcast, Ferdinand cast doubts about the hype surrounding Szoboszlai.
“I think he’s a good player [Szoboszlai], but everyone is hyping him like he is the next [Steven] Gerrard, I ain’t seen that yet,” Ferdinand said.
Perhaps Ferdinand may just need to watch Liverpool more often to see why the comparisons are apt. There is no doubt Szoboszlai has a long way to go until he can be in the same realm as a legendary figure like Gerrard – but he is definitely making the steps in that direction.
When you consider the fact that he is only 23-years-old, he still has plenty of time to get there as well.
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