Andoni Iraola believes the new contract for Dominik Szoboszlai has been the highlight of his embryonic Liverpool reign - and has outlined when he will name a new vice-captain.
Szoboszlai last week put pen to paper on a new, improved five-year contract that will extend his Anfield commitment to 2031. The Hungary international has become a key member of the midfield since arriving for £60million from RB Leipzig and was voted Liverpool's best player of last season.
Iraola praises Szoboszlai's leadership
Iraola has welcomed Szoboszlai's deal and is already impressed with the 25-year-old's influence on the Reds squad.
"I think this is one of the probably greatest news since I arrived, his commitment to this club, his contract renewal," said the Liverpool boss. "Also, he has come in a great shape. He has been leading by example in training, he’s pushing a lot. I think young players should be looking at him, the way he is training and he competes. And definitely he has to be one of our leaders looking forward and I’m looking forward to having him in my team, to try to use him in the best way, to try to help him feel comfortable and try to make him continue the same way he’s having - and even, if we can, improve what he’s already doing."
Vice-captain decision delayed
Those leadership qualities have put Szoboszlai in the running to be Liverpool's new vice-captain in support of club skipper Virgil van Dijk following the departure of Andy Robertson to Tottenham Hotspur during the summer. Iraola, though, is delaying any decision until the return of his World Cup contingent with none of the Reds' eight representatives at the tournament having yet joined up for pre-season training.
"I will address (it later in pre-season) because I still haven’t met almost half of the squad, I still haven’t seen them face-to-face," he said. "So, I think we will take the decision when it happens. But I always say, you don’t need to wear an armband to be a leader, to be a captain. Sometimes I understand here in England it has a lot of meaning, but I’ve had a lot of captains, leaders without wearing the armband. You can lead a team, you can be an important player, not just because one wears (an armband) it has to be like (that). We need more than one or two vice-captains, we need a lot of captains in the pitch, we need as many as we can. Yes, I’m sure that whatever the decisions we take in terms of the armband, a lot of players will continue leading."
