Dominik Szoboszlai has been backed to eventually succeed Virgil van Dijk as Liverpool captain after establishing himself as a key figure at Anfield
Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool applauds during the UEFA Champions League match against Atletico Madrid
Virgil van Dijk is the current captain of Liverpool but is in the final year of his contract(Image: Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
Former Liverpool forward Emile Heskey has named his pick for the next club captain and outlined why it's crucial he is kept at the club.
Virgil van Dijk is the current captain of the Reds and has been since Jordan Henderson departed the club in the summer of 2023. He has been backed up by two vice-captains in that time, the first being Trent Alexander-Arnold, followed by Andy Robertson last season.
Both of those players have now left the club, which meant Andoni Iraola was tasked with appointing a new vice-captain in the summer. Instead of choosing just one player, Joe Gomez, Alisson and Dominik Szoboszlai were all added to the group.
While Alisson, in particular, would have been the natural choice given his status in the squad, the head coach explained why wearing the armband on the pitch was not an option for the Brazilian. New rules state that the captain must be the one to discuss on-field decisions with the referee, which would be difficult for a goalkeeper when an incident occurs in the opposition box.
But with Van Dijk out of contract at the end of the season, and it not yet being clear whether he will extend his stay further, conversation has understandably shifted toward a long-term successor. The inclusion of Szoboszlai as a vice-captain points to where the manager's thinking may be, and that sentiment has been backed up by Heskey's own assessment of the future of the captaincy.
Dominik Szoboszlai of Liverpool walks out prior to the Premier League match against Fulham
Dominik Szoboszlai was added to Liverpool's leadership group as one of the vice captains over the summer(Image: Photo by Gaspafotos/MB Media/Getty Images)
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"Dominik Szoboszlai is a future Liverpool captain," the former Red explained in an interview with Casinolyze. "As someone who's a leader and takes control, you've got to start looking at that and try to nail him down as the number one priority.
"Not just for that, but you can also use him as a tool to attract players. He's a fantastic player, a great individual, and a great leader, or at least looks like one from the outside. You can use players like that to entice others. Keeping Szoboszlai is vital."
Fortunately for Liverpool, Szoboszlai extended his contract over the summer, signing up for a further five years at Anfield. He was signed back in 2023 from RB Leipzig as part of the midfield rebuild, and his new deal will take him all the way through to 2031.
The news in July came as a major boost for the Reds given the Hungary international had two years remaining on his deal prior to the extension. Having lost the likes of Alexander-Arnold and Ibrahima Konate as free agents to Real Madrid over the past two years, Liverpool could ill afford to risk losing a player of Szoboszlai's caliber for nothing.
Not only was Szoboszlai a key player for former head coach Arne Slot in the title-winning season, but when Liverpool was struggling painfully last season, the 25-year-old was one of the few players who stepped up through the adversity. Last term, he scored 13 goals and registered 12 assists in his 53 appearances across all competitions.
This season, he has made an equally promising start to the campaign with three goals to his name so far. He has scored once in each competition.