Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai has defended his positional versatility after club legend Jamie Carragher questioned his suitability as a central midfielder, with the Hungarian insisting he will play wherever Andoni Iraola asks him
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Dominik Szoboszlai of Liverpool celebrates after scoring a goal
Dominik Szoboszlai saved Liverpool a point with a last-gasp penalty(Image: Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
Liverpool icon Jamie Carragher recently suggested he remains unconvinced that Dominik Szoboszlai would be enthusiastic about assisting Andoni Iraola by filling in at right-back this campaign. However, the Hungarian has previously made clear to those questioning his versatility across positions that they're mistaken and that he's willing to contribute to the side wherever required.
Carragher also considers Liverpool's decision not to sign a new right-back during the summer transfer window to have been a 'massive mistake'. He suspects the energetic midfielder might find himself deployed in that position this term, as occurred last season with reasonable success.
This stems from Conor Bradley's lengthy injury absence and Jeremie Frimpong's current poor form. Right-back has emerged as a problematic area for Liverpool ever since Trent Alexander-Arnold left for Real Madrid last summer.
Szoboszlai, 25, received a new contract in recognition of his contributions during an otherwise disappointing campaign for the club last year and was elevated to become one of the squad's vice captains. Carragher believes the Hungarian's enhanced standing as one of the team's senior figures means he'll expect to feature centrally, despite maintaining that Szoboszlai is more naturally suited to operating as a full-back.
"The big thing he (Iraola) has got, and it happened last season and at the weekend, Szoboszlai went back to right-back. I've never believed Szoboszlai is a central midfield player," Carragher said on the Stick to Football podcast.
"Now, he's signed a new contract and I can only imagine in those talks, they were desperate for him to stay, he's almost said, 'I want to play midfield'. He's moved around a bit and he started the season in central midfield. I don't see him as that.", reports the Liverpool Echo.
"For me, in midfield he's a Jordan Henderson. Runner, energy, with more of a goal threat. But Liverpool don't play that way and he's not really a No 10. His best role could actually be at right-back. He'd get plenty of the ball, he can run and almost play that Trent role from there.
Dominik Szoboszlai of Liverpool looks on during the Premier League match against Newcastle
Dominik Szoboszlai has already said he'll be happy to play at right-back if needed(Image: Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images)
"But there's no way he's going to want to play there because he's just signed a new contract for £350,000 a week. You've just done this big thing, he's the vice-captain, I just think that's a conversation Iraola is going to have to have going forward, because the midfield is not right and he's part of that midfield not being right."
However, speaking before the new Premier League campaign kicked off, Szoboszlai insisted he stands ready to feature in whatever position Iraola requires. "I could easily say, 'I don't want to play full-back; either you put me in midfield, or I'm not playing'," he said.
"But I don't do that because I want to help my team however I can. It's a team sport. Ultimately, I want to win, no matter where I'm asked to play. Some might say you're perhaps too nice... I'm a team player. I'm not too nice, believe me!
"But I have too much ego; the more people try to tell me I won't succeed, the more I take a perverse pleasure in proving them wrong. That's why I have so much love for the people sitting on their sofas talking s**t about me."
Szoboszlai went on to say: "Honestly, moving from midfield to full-back really isn't difficult. In midfield, you need a panoramic view because the play - and the opponents - can come from anywhere, whereas at full-back, it's pretty binary: if there's no one in front of me, I'm free; if there's an opponent, I'm not. Simple.
"But my preferred position is box-to-box midfielder, because I have every option: playing short or long, running with the ball, making runs off the ball, shooting from distance, or dropping in closer."
The Reds will be eager to get their first victory on the board this season when they travel to Portman Road on Friday evening to take on Ipswich Town.