Dominik Szoboszlai has revealed that Andoni Iraola has made a promise to him during his early conversations at Liverpool, but he may already be facing having to break it
Andoni Iraola has already hinted that he could break a promise to one of his Liverpool players
Andoni Iraola has already hinted that he could break a promise to one of his Liverpool players
Andoni Iraola is slowly but surely getting Liverpool on the right track, although it still feels as though we are some way off discussing the Reds as potential title challengers again.
That shouldn’t be held against the club’s new head coach in any way. Liverpool’s drop-off last season under Arne Slot was incredibly alarming, and even though Champions League qualification was secured, it felt like the reset button needed to be pushed.
But while there has been a big clearout - and not just on the pitch - there hasn’t been an awful lot coming in the opposite direction. Just four new additions have been made to this season’s squad, and one of those was signed back in February.
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Even so, Iraola is starting to make an impact — not least by shifting away from some of Slot’s tactics. The former Bournemouth boss was always seen as something of a move back to what Liverpool had been used to previously - the “heavy metal attacking” soccer, as Mohamed Salah would put it.
And with that, he wants to get his best players in their best positions. For Dominik Szoboszlai, that means no more stints at right-back - or at least, that’s what the midfielder says.
"I think he made it clear, one time, that I'm not going to play right-back, which meant a lot to me," Szoboszlai said in a new interview with Steven Gerrard for TNT Sports. "But, if he needs me there, I'm going to be available.”
Dominik Szoboszlai during Liverpool's win at Ipswich
Dominik Szoboszlai has revealed Andoni Iraola has told him he won't play right-back again(Image: Henry Nicholls / AFP via Getty Images)
Iraola himself didn’t quite give the impression that Szoboszlai wouldn’t be called upon to play right-back again when the prospect came up during a press conference last week. “Since I started here, I’ve talked to a lot of players about their position, where they prefer to play,” he told reporters ahead of the game against Ipswich.
“But I haven’t found any situations where any player has told me, 'No, I don’t want to play here.' Everyone has shown the right attitude.
“Sometimes I say, ‘Okay, I see you maybe more here’ — and we have discussions. But everyone is ready to help. If we have to play him [Szoboszlai] as a right winger, as a right-back, as a left-back, I think he’s ready to do it.
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“He wants to help the team first, and it’s good, also, to have players who can cover different positions, especially now that we have some injuries. We need this versatility from the players. Having players like Dom, for me, it’s very valuable, because in games they allow me to change not the players, but the positions.”
So, even if Iraola and Szoboszlai have had that conversation, the Hungarian turning out on the right side of the defense again shouldn’t be ruled out — especially if Jeremie Frimpong continues to struggle. The Dutchman’s signing made a lot of sense on paper following Trent Alexander-Arnold’s departure. In practice, it hasn’t worked out yet.
IPSWICH, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 04: Jeremie Frimpong of Liverpool arrives at the stadium before the Premier League 2026/27 match between Ipswich Town and Liverpool FC at Portman Road on September 04, 2026 in Ipswich, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Jeremie Frimpong has failed to convince so far at Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)
Frimpong looks to be stuck in an awkward middle ground — not quite a right-back, not quite a winger, and probably best suited to a system that employs wing-backs. That’s unlikely to happen at Liverpool.
With Conor Bradley out injured, he is the obvious choice to start at right-back, but his performances have left more questions than answers. Injuries didn’t help him in his first seasons, but after a year at the club, you’d still expect to see some improvements.
Liverpool looked much more assured with Ronald Araujo in the position at Ipswich, but the Barcelona loanee can’t be expected to play there every game, especially if either Jeremy Jacquet or Virgil van Dijk picks up an injury.
The idea of Szoboszlai playing at right-back then is becoming more and more enticing for a lot of fans, especially now with Curtis Jones gone. Frimpong has to improve, or else Iraola might well find himself breaking his promise to his star midfielder.