Liverpool supporters will be expecting much more from Dominik Szoboszlai next season.
The Hungarian had a fantastic start after being signed from RB Leipzig last summer. However, things soon hit the buffers for Dom.
Despite being a nailed on starter during the early parts of the campaign at Anfield, Szoboszlai found himself out of the team as the season came to a close.
With the experience of that first year out of the way, it will be hoped that Arne Slot can get the best out of the 23-year-old once again.
Now back in pre-season at the AXA Training Centre, hopefully Szoboszlai is starting to put the disappointment of last year out of his mind.
Dominik Szoboszlai’s Euro 2024 form explained
Not only did he have a difficult spring for his club, Szoboszlai also carried that form through into a really poor summer for his country.
Much had been expected of Hungary at Euro 2024. With Szoboszlai leading them, it had been projected that they could be a real dark horse of the tournament.
Szoboszlai was the youngest captain in Euros history and with the Liverpool No.8 as their driving force, they had reasonable hopes of getting out of a group containing Germany, Scotland and Switzerland.
Things got off to a bad start, though, with a slightly surprise defeat to the Swiss. A routine loss against Germany followed and although they beat Scotland with a last-second winner, it was not enough to qualify.
READ MORE: Brentford manager Thomas Frank gives his view on Dominik Szoboszlai at Euro 2024
Addressing his nation’s failures in an interview with Nemzeti Sport, Hungarian FA president Sandor Csanyi touched on why he felt Szoboszlai in particular could not show his best in Germany.
“He was not in top form at the European Championships, which is also due to the fact that he has not been one hundred percent since his winter injury and in the tournament,” says Csanyi. “He has been dealing with a minor injury for a long time.
“At the same time, his will and attitude were exemplary, he tried to act as a leader on the pitch. Without a doubt, he is the biggest star of the current national team, but just because of his age, he cannot be expected to always perform in the form of his life.
“I am sure it will bring a lot of joy to the fans of Hungarian football.”
Is Dominik Szoboszlai fully fit now?
This is not particularly a surprise to hear from Csanyi. It’s also certainly not a coincidence that Szoboszlai’s form for Liverpool somewhat dropped off a cliff after his injury in December.
Perhaps initially rushed back, the former Leipzig man soon broke down again and could never really show his best from there.
With that in mind, perhaps Szoboszlai should not really have played at the Euros. But as captain and a proud Hungarian, that was never going to happen.
As a result, Liverpool will have been assessing the midfielder upon his return to Merseyside this week.
Szoboszlai has been spotted in full training, which would suggest that there is no lingering issue. If there is any hint of a problem though, Liverpool should let Dom sit out and recover fully before going again.
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