From substitute to key player: revealing how Dominik Szoboszlai became Liverpool's mainstay.
On 21 Feb 2026 GMT+7, Paul Joyce, a journalist from The Times, revealed why Szoboszlai truly became a key man for Liverpool, known as the "Reds." After Florian Wirtz's arrival raised questions about where Szoboszlai would fit in the team, today the question has changed to, "What would Liverpool do without him?"
Under Jürgen Klopp's management, Szoboszlai is not only a player with impressive statistics but also a core figure trusted to solve the team's problems and help maintain overall stability.
Paul Joyce explained that Klopp uses Dominik Szoboszlai flexibly in various roles requiring very different instincts—whether helping at right back, dropping deep to link midfield, moving to the right wing, or playing as a number 10. Regardless of his position, his influence remains nearly constant.
Such ability was especially valuable before the Premier League away match against Forest, as during periods of inconsistent team play, Szoboszlai’s calmness and stability proved crucial.
Joyce also noted that Klopp openly values the Hungarian player's profile. Last season, the Dutch manager praised his performance as "incredible," clearly reflecting the very high importance placed on him.
The image of a "serial winner" is not an exaggeration, as Szoboszlai has won trophies every season throughout his career, and that high standard is reflected in his consistent performance.
This season, he has played 24 Premier League matches, starting every game and averaging a full 90 minutes per match, clearly showing Klopp does not see him as just a rotation player. Data analyst Ryan O’Hanlon from ESPN even rated him as the "best shooter in the league" with a score of 90.7, stating that when considering shot quality, Szoboszlai ranks highest in the Premier League.
Behind his outstanding form lies intense discipline: Szoboszlai often arrives earliest at training and is among the last to leave, consistently practicing free kicks.
Paul Joyce recounted that the three players who regularly arrive earliest at Liverpool training are Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones, and Mohamed Salah. The three are close friends, often meeting at the AXA Training Centre's coffee bar, visiting each other's homes for meals, and sometimes playing backgammon together.
Additionally, two to three times a week after training, Szoboszlai usually stays to practice free kicks with Wirtz, Salah, and Cody Gakpo, with third-choice goalkeeper Freddy Woodman acting as the keeper and a mannequin set up as a wall to simulate real match scenarios seriously.