Arne Slot has detailed how Dominik Szoboszlai has grown into one of Liverpool’s most important figures this season, both on and off the pitch, as the Reds navigate an uneven 2025-26 campaign.
Following his decisive free kick in midweek against Marseille, a performance that boosted confidence ahead of the league trip to Bournemouth as reported by SoftFootball, the Hungarian once again underlined why Slot increasingly builds his side around him.
Szoboszlai’s influence was also clear in Europe, where Liverpool cruised past Marseille to strengthen their Champions League qualification push, another match in which his intelligence and delivery stood out.
His goal involvement in all but one Champions League game this season reflects a player thriving under added responsibility and freedom within Slot’s system.
On the pitch, Slot has reshaped Szoboszlai’s role from a more restrained midfield function into a confident box-to-box presence who still sets the tone defensively. With seven goals and five assists across all competitions, the 25-year-old is on course for his best scoring season at the club.
Yet Slot has been keen to stress that numbers alone do not explain his importance, pointing instead to his intensity, pressing, and willingness to lead through actions. That leadership by example is something Slot believes Szoboszlai has embraced since the Dutchman arrived.
He explained in a post shared by the club’s official X account that Szoboszlai’s constant running, pressing, and recovery work form the foundation of his authority within the team, especially during difficult moments in matches.
According to Slot, his development this season has also come from greater confidence on the ball and a stronger presence in decisive attacking phases.
Slot said:
I think it always starts, if you want to be a leader, by leading by example. That’s what he’s done since the one-and-a-half years I’m here. He’s always the one that without the ball is incredible in the way he can press – the intensity, he keeps running backwards, forwards.
The Liverpool head coach went on to explain that while he always admired Szoboszlai last season, this year has brought another level of assurance and influence in the final third.
Slot said:
I think he improved this season on the ball compared to last season, where last season I always liked him. But this season he plays with even more confidence and is more often involved in chances and goals. He’s having a good season, as some other individuals are as well.
That blend of output, work rate, and composure has made Szoboszlai indispensable, a status reinforced by moments such as his thunderbolt free kick against Arsenal earlier in the campaign.
For Slot, Szoboszlai now represents the standard he wants his Liverpool side to follow, not just through talent, but through consistency, responsibility, and example.
