Dominik Szoboszlai: A New General in Liverpool’s Midfield
Vladimir Smicer knows what it means to light up Anfield from midfield. He did it often enough himself. Six years, 183 games, 19 goals and a starring role in the Miracle of Istanbul have earned him a permanent place in Liverpool folklore.
Now 53, the former Czechia international watches this Liverpool side from a distance, but with a sharp eye. And one player keeps pulling his attention back to the centre of the pitch: Dominik Szoboszlai.
A New General in Liverpool’s Midfield
Szoboszlai has not just settled into life at Liverpool; he has started to shape it. The 25-year-old has become an on-field reference point, a player Andoni Iraola can drop into multiple roles across both defensive and attacking lines without losing intensity or quality.
He runs. He fights. He shoots. And when he shoots, it tends to stay hit.
His latest reminder came in the Carabao Cup, when Tottenham were finally put out of their misery by a 30-yard rocket. Szoboszlai stepped up, let fly, and the ball dipped and curled viciously into the top corner to seal Spurs’ exit. It was the kind of strike that empties a stadium of noise for a split second before the roar catches up.
Those moments have started to define him. Not just as a set-piece specialist, but as a player who changes the rhythm of a game with one swing of either foot.
Echoes of Nedved
For Smicer, watching Szoboszlai brings back memories of another Czech great: Pavel Nedved. The comparison is not lazy nostalgia; it comes from understanding what it takes to dominate the middle of the pitch at the highest level.
“Dominik Szoboszlai and Pavel Nedved are similar in the physical side of the game. They both have that capacity for running, fighting and taking shots,” Smicer told GOAL, speaking in association with Grosvenor Sport.
Nedved, the 2003 Ballon d’Or winner, built his reputation on relentless work and decisive quality. He was a midfielder who could do everything: score from distance, arrive late in the box, pick the final pass, drag his team up the pitch. For a period, he was widely regarded as the best player in the world.
Smicer sees that same blend of attributes forming in Szoboszlai.
“Pavel’s work rate was really high and Szobo is the same. He can run, tackle and both players can score goals with their left foot, right foot and what I think they have in common is their leadership qualities too.”
This is where the comparison bites hardest. It is not only about technique or shooting power. It is about personality.
Leadership Between the Lines
Liverpool still have Virgil van Dijk marshalling from the back, but Smicer knows great teams need more than one voice.
“Virgil van Dijk is still a Liverpool player but you need those leaders in every line of your team, and ideally someone in midfield and I think Szobo is becoming that leader in midfield.”
That is a significant statement from a man who played alongside some of Liverpool’s most iconic figures. Leadership in midfield is not just about shouting or pointing; it is about demanding the ball in tight spaces, dictating tempo, taking responsibility when the game frays at the edges.
Szoboszlai has already shown a willingness to carry that burden. Smicer believes last season was proof.
“He was already playing as the leader last year when he was our best player in the team. He just needs to continue working because in a game, he can do anything. He can play the passes, make the plays, score the goals, and that’s what Liverpool need.”
The versatility underlines the point. Szoboszlai has even filled in at right-back when required, sacrificing his natural attacking instincts for the good of the structure. Yet there is a clear sense, both inside and outside the club, that his true value lies further up the pitch, where he can act as the beating heart of the midfield.
Iraola’s Unbeaten, Unfinished Project
Under new Spanish coach Andoni Iraola, Liverpool have started the 2026-27 campaign without tasting defeat. The record looks clean. The performances do not yet feel complete.
There are flashes of what this team could become: aggressive pressing, quick transitions, and a midfield that can both graft and create. Szoboszlai sits at the centre of that vision, the player expected to knit it all together between defence and attack.
Liverpool head into the first international break on the back of a trip to Bournemouth on Sunday, still searching for their top gear but protected by that unbeaten run. As Iraola refines his ideas and the season tightens, the question becomes sharper.
If Szoboszlai truly grows into the Nedved-style figure Smicer believes he can be, how high can this Liverpool side climb?
