Dominik Szoboszlai has been promoted to the leadership team inside the Liverpool squad this summer
Dominik Szoboszlai of Liverpool
Dominik Szoboszlai of Liverpool(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
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Former Liverpool star Steve McManaman has challenged Dominik Szoboszlai to step into the leadership void created by the departures of Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson at Anfield.
Szoboszlai was named as one of three vice captains to club skipper Virgil van Dijk by new head coach Andoni Iraola this summer, with the Hungary international sharing those duties alongside veteran goalkeeper Alisson Becker and the long-serving Joe Gomez, who has been at the club since 2015.
The end-of-season exits of Robertson and Salah, who contributed significantly towards a hugely successful period for the club following their 2017 arrivals, has led to concerns that Liverpool's squad now lacks leaders beyond Van Dijk, who is also the Netherlands captain.
And with Szoboszlai now part of the inner circle of captains at Anfield, former Reds winger McManaman says it is time for the RB Leipzig man to make himself indispensable to Iraola's team.
"Dominik Szoboszlai is another one who is establishing himself in this team now," McManaman told Seven, powered by Ladbrokes.
"You know, the goalkeeper (Alisson) has been there for 10 years and is a superstar, as has the centre-half (Van Dijk), and now it's Dominik who is continuing that spine of the team.
"We've lost some big players over the last few years; big characters in the side, and so you need somebody to either come in or step up.
"That's what superstars do. He's probably the incumbent captain after Virgil, he's in the middle of the park and he dictates how we play.
"He's got a really important role to play this season, because we've lost some huge characters. You know, Mo (Salah) was a hugely experienced name in the dressing room.
"Robbo (Robertson) was the same; big voices, big characters who controlled the dressing room. That needs to continue, and hopefully with Alisson, Virgil and Dominik, they need to play a really big role in bringing the younger lads through, and quite quickly."
McManaman added: "A good season for Andoni Iraola and Liverpool is to be competitive in the cup competitions, and getting into the Champions League again. From what I've seen up to this point, I think that would be a good season for Andoni - I really do.
"I still think they're a little bit light to challenge for the title, but if they can get into the Champions League spots, then that's a good season for me.
"You know, there are a lot of youngsters in that squad, who are very good, but you can't put too much pressure on them when they're got very little experience in the Premier League.
"They need time to bed in, so what I really want is for the players that we brought in last year to be better this year, and I think they will.
"The combination of that, the improvement of last year's signings, the arrival of a few this summer, and the excitement of some of the younger players around the squad, I think makes for a good season ahead."