Dominik Szoboszlai paid ultimate compliment after best season for Liverpool yet

Dominik Szoboszlai has come in for plenty of praise this season for his performances, with the Liverpool star being compared to a club hero in the ultimate compliment

Dominik Szoboszlai has impressed for Liverpool this season(Image: (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images))

Former Liverpool defender Glen Johnson has compared Dominik Szoboszlai to Steven Gerrard in the ultimate compliment to the midfield maestro.

The Hungarian international has been a standout performer for the Reds during an otherwise inconsistent season, coming up with some important displays. His ability to play impressive passes, score from set-pieces, and lead the team by example has led to those Gerrard comparisons.

Johnson is the latest to make the connection when speaking to Boyle Sports, given the similarities between the pair. On that comparison, he said: "I can see slight similarities between Szoboszlai and Gerrard. With Stevie, we all knew his role, but he could play anywhere.

"And when Szoboszlai signed, I thought that during the period when they signed him and a few others, he's the most exciting one for me. Now he's kicking on even more.

"But with Stevie, it's hard for anyone to be compared to Stevie. He's been there, done it, been one of the all-time greats in the Premier League across a 15-year spell. That's not a criticism of Szoboszlai. I think he's doing great. I think Stevie was Stevie, and that's hard to compare.

"But yeah, the way he's playing, he's a fantastic player. He's winning games and controlling games, heavily involved in games. So, yeah, he's without a doubt one of the first names on the team sheet for me."

Szoboszlai has received praise from ex-Liverpool star Glen Johnson

Szoboszlai will certainly hope he can follow in the footsteps of Gerrard, who became a legend during his long stint at Anfield. The 25-year-old has made a dent in the career the midfielder has had, having won a Premier League and EFL Cup during his time at Liverpool so far.

This season alone, the Hungarian midfielder has hit double figures for goals, scoring 10 times and assisting eight goals across all competitions. They have all been important contributions during a tough season, with plenty of hope that he can continue that to rescue some positives before the end of the campaign.

Gerrard himself has given tips for Szoboszlai on how to improve, having watched plenty of the midfielder during his time at Anfield. He told TNT Sports earlier this month: "He’s really stepped forward, it’s gone to another level now. One of the best strikers of the ball I’ve seen for a long time.

“He needs to keep arriving from a number ten or an attacking eight position, he can get more goals and take his game to the next level.”

Equally, Arne Slot has been ringing the praises of Szoboszlai, having joined in with the discussion to say: "Dominik has a lot of qualities. He is an all-round player, an all-round midfielder, a modern midfielder in my opinion.

"Last season he was already very good - mainly off the ball, a bit on the ball - and I think this season he has improved his game on the ball. Off the ball he is top three, four or five in the world, and [he is] maybe the best in the world in terms of pressing."

It is certainly top praise for a player who has deserved it, but the ultimate goal for Szoboszlai now is to step up when the matches truly matter at a crunch point in the season.