Dominik Szoboszlai Commits to Liverpool and Eyes Captaincy
Dominik Szoboszlai has nailed his colours to the Liverpool mast, signing a new deal that ties him to Anfield until 2031 and slams the door on mounting transfer speculation, including talk of Real Madrid circling.
At 25, he is entering the years when top midfielders usually hit their peak. Liverpool are betting those prime seasons will play out on Merseyside.
From Leipzig prospect to Anfield pillar
Szoboszlai arrived from RB Leipzig in 2023 as a highly rated, attack-minded midfielder. Three years on, he has become far more than that.
Across 154 appearances, he has produced 31 goals, many of them the kind that live long in highlight reels – long-range drives, vicious strikes from the edge of the box, moments that flip tight games on their head. Managers have used him all over the pitch, and his versatility has become a key part of Liverpool’s evolving identity.
For Hungary, he already wears the captain’s armband. At Liverpool, he has grown into a reference point, a player others look to when the tempo needs lifting or the press needs to bite harder. The work rate matches the talent, and that combination has pushed him into the heart of the club’s long-term planning.
Echoes of Nedved, whispers of Gerrard
Those inside the game have not missed the trajectory. Szoboszlai has drawn comparisons with Ballon d’Or winner Pavel Nedved, a nod to his engine, his range of passing, and his eye for spectacular goals. Former Liverpool midfielder Vladimir Smicer, a 2005 Champions League winner and fellow Czech to Nedved, sees clear parallels between the two.
At Anfield, though, there is another, heavier shadow: Steven Gerrard.
Gerrard defined an era as Liverpool’s captain, a local boy who carried the club and the city on his shoulders. Szoboszlai is not that. He is not a Scouser, not a product of the academy, not the kid who grew up a few miles from the Kop. Smicer is clear on that distinction.
“It’s difficult to compare him as a player and as a captain to Steven Gerrard because Stevie G was grounded in Liverpool. He grew up in Liverpool. There was always that connection between the club, the city, the fans and Stevie G. It was something very special. Even the players in the Liverpool dressing room felt that and knew how it worked,” Smicer told GOAL, speaking in association with Grosvenor Sport.
Yet the Czech believes Szoboszlai is walking a path that could still bring him close to Gerrard’s territory in footballing terms.
“Szobo has been at Liverpool for three years and Stevie G spent his whole life at Liverpool but he’s on the right path to follow in Stevie’s footsteps, and I think Stevie loves to watch Szobo play for Liverpool. If one day we say that Szobo is Stevie G’s successor, I don’t think he would be against that.”
Van Dijk’s contract clock and the captaincy question
All of this unfolds against a ticking clock. Virgil van Dijk, the current captain and defensive cornerstone, is out of contract next summer. Someone will have to take the armband when that era ends.
Smicer can already picture who that might be.
Asked if Liverpool’s current No.8 could be the man to succeed Van Dijk as captain, he did not hesitate: “Will Dominik Szoboszlai succeed Virgil van Dijk to become the next captain of Liverpool? One day, yes. I can see it.”
From a leadership standpoint, Szoboszlai’s case is strong. He leads his national team, drives Liverpool’s press, and demands high standards. He has also embraced the weight of the No.8 shirt, a number forever linked to Gerrard and all the expectation that comes with it.
Chasing a legacy, not a likeness
Matching Gerrard’s popularity at Anfield is almost impossible. The bond between Gerrard and the Kop was built on local roots, unforgettable comebacks, and years of dragging Liverpool through adversity. Szoboszlai will never replicate that story.
He can, however, write his own.
With Liverpool unbeaten at the start of the 2026-27 season and pushing hard on both domestic and European fronts, the stage is set. Major silverware, lifted with Szoboszlai as captain, would shift him from important signing to modern-day great in the club’s history.
The contract is signed. The comparisons are out there. The armband may soon be vacant.
Now the question hangs over Anfield: is this the player who leads Liverpool into their next great era?
