'I hope': Dominik Szoboszlai explains honest feelings about being used in a new position for Hungary

27/03/2024 12:00

Among all of Liverpool’s players, perhaps no one is as important to their respective national teams as Dominik Szoboszlai is to Hungary. He is the captain of his country, and his nation’s best player in the 21st century.

People flock to the Puskas Arena to watch him play, and he is an inspiration to many young aspiring footballers in the region. Szoboszlai is also pivotal to Hungary’s success. In just his last five games, he has five goals for his country as well as three assists.

When he plays for the national team, everything seems to go through him. He drops a lot deeper in comparisons to where he plays for Liverpool, and dictated the rhythm of the play. In a way, the country’s national team manager, Marco Rossi, deploys him in an almost ‘free’ role where Szoboszlai roams wherever he is needed.

Photo by ATTILA KISBENEDEK/AFP via Getty Images

Dominik Szoboszlai on his honest thoughts

Yesterday against Kosovo and against Turkey last week, Szoboszlai’s free role saw him open popping up in the right-back position. Against Kosovo, Szoboszlai even made a brilliant run, beating two or three players from that position before releasing his teammate ahead of him.

In the past, Szoboszlai has also been used in a holding midfield role. A position which Rossi has tipped him to be capable of playing in a similar fashion to Andre Pirlo when I spoke to him in an interview for Liverpool.com.

But yesterday, instead of popping up centrally, Szoboszlai was mainly playing out wide in deeper positions. He was asked by reporters after the game how he felt about that, and was quick to reveal his honest opinion.

"Up top, at the back, everywhere [where he played],” Szoboszlai said as per Nemzeti Sport. “I hope I will not be right-back, but if the boss puts me there, I will have to play there."

Fortunately, for Szoboszlai at least at Liverpool, there is no danger of him playing as a right-back. Jurgen Klopp is well stocked in the department with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Conor Bradley.