Dominik Szoboszlai has answered Mohamed Salah's call for a new leader at Liverpool by hitting the gym early, posting a selfie tagged with the former Reds star as pre-season training begins.
Salah's Final Message
In May, as Mohamed Salah's nine-year Liverpool career ended, he used a Sky Sports interview to urge the squad to maintain high standards. "I told them when I leave: 'You need an example here'," Salah said. "You need people to come early to the gym... If that doesn’t happen, I think it will be tricky for this club."
Szoboszlai Responds
Seizing the opportunity, Dominik Szoboszlai, Hungary's captain, returned to training over the weekend, a week before the official start at the AXA Training Centre on July 13. He paused his workout for a selfie, uploading it to his 5.5 million Instagram followers with the caption "Back" and tagging Salah.
Szoboszlai, one of the fittest players in the squad, is building base fitness ahead of pre-season. With Hungary failing to qualify for the World Cup, he will be among the most senior players reporting for duty under new manager Andoni Iraola.
Leadership Opportunity
This pre-season is crucial for Szoboszlai under his third Reds manager in four seasons. After showing consistency under Arne Slot, he must now improve further. He remains in talks over a new contract, keen to commit his best years to the club. However, negotiations are yet to reach a breakthrough, and the departure of Ibrahima Konate to Real Madrid may unsettle fans.
With Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson, and Alisson Becker absent due to summer breaks, Szoboszlai has a strong chance to be named captain for pre-season games against Sunderland, Wrexham, and Leeds United. "This, essentially, could become something of an audition for the No.8," the article notes.
By taking on Salah's gym challenge, Szoboszlai is positioning himself as a leader, setting the tone for the squad under Iraola.
