A new icon is born in Liverpool: Dominik Szoboszlai – The power that can raise him among the best
He was just 19 when we sat down to talk in a café in Székesfehérvár a few days before Christmas in 2019. He was home for the holidays from his then team Salzburg in Austria, and with childlike delight, he told me about his mother's ‘vadas’ (hunter’s stew), from which he had finally been able to eat to his heart's content. Then, as his gaze fell on the sports magazine in front of him, he grew confident: "Will I be on the next cover?" – he asked. I nodded, and he smiled, relaxed.
If someone were to ask me to explain the difference between arrogance and the healthy self-confidence needed for world sporting success, I would suggest they sit down in a café with Dominic Szoboszlai to have a chat. And then just watch his eyes, his movements, his gestures. The respect with which he thanks the waiter for the drink, the way he talks about his profession, football, with his eyes sparkling, and the way he looks at his father, who is watching him with stern pride from the next table. Zsolt Szoboszlai, who taught this boy to work and be humble from the age of three, and only when these two were already basic did he make him realize that he was not only hard-working but also talented.
Because "Talent is a divine blessing, but without incredible will and humility, it is worth nothing" – as Dominik had tattooed on his arm at the age of 15.
The quote comes from 114-time England national team player Steven Gerrard, who spent 17 years as a footballer for Liverpool, where he became captain and an icon. And whose Liverpool number 8 jersey was recently inherited by Dominik Szoboszlai. To get this far, he needed the confidence that, among many other things, the wolf tattooed on his other arm reminds him of when he is hit with a mean remark. He said it makes him remember that he had never seen a wolf sleep badly because of the sheep's opinion.
This inner strength also requires, of course, that you never forget where you started. Dominik claimed that he had no role models because he wanted to follow his own path, but when I asked him if he always wanted to be the best at everything, he said "Of course!" and nodded towards his father saying “Like him”. "What if they were competing against each other?" – I tried to corner him. "Then I always win!" – two of them said at the same time. "All I have to do is look in the mirror and I see him," resumed the father.
The father, who never gave Dominik any digital gadgets until he was 14, only let him play with ‘the’ ball. And when he finally got an Xbox like his peers, he didn't play with it, because he was still only interested in the ball. Learning still was there, but there was no going to the cinema, or hanging out with friends in the square or the mall. His parents' discipline made it clear: you only get something if you do something for it, nothing comes for free.
"Have you ever wavered if you are on the right path to your goal?" – I asked. "Never," he replied.
The fact that Dominik Szoboszlai, the 22-year-old captain of the Hungarian national team, has now signed for one of the most famous clubs in the world – for more than three times the money ever paid for a Hungarian footballer – is also down to his manager, Mátyás Esterházy, who comes from a prestigious family. He says it's not difficult to get on the same page with the boy because he's the type who responds to care. Dominik said of the occasional disagreements with him and his father, "Usually they are right, but there will come a time when I will be." But they never tried to break his self-confidence: "I'm glad it's almost limitless, otherwise he wouldn't be able to bring out what he has in him," says Esterházy.
And as a fan, I'm glad that I've never seen any unnecessary fuss or star drama from this young man on the pitch, he always does his job in a disciplined manner – no matter if he's having a great day or a bad one, he's still doing his job. He never uses his excellence to overshadow others but to shine out from among them in a way that makes them also shine. He is not an individualist but humbly works for team interests. As elegant on the pitch, he is generous to the fans: he never forgets, for example, to give his jersey or shoes to a chosen one – usually a child – after a match.
The very fact that Liverpool's Facebook page, with its 40 million followers, has been welcoming the Hungarian Szoboszlai for days is, in itself, a huge boost for Hungary’s image.
But more importantly, when I saw a little boy riding his bike in a Messi jersey the other day, I thought that soon he might ask his parents for a number 8 Szoboszlai jersey instead of the number 10 of the Argentinian national team. I must admit, even I felt like buying one, even though there is a slight age difference between us in my favour.
It was also then that I realized that although I had loved football all my life, I had never bought a football jersey with a name on it. I wanted to as a child, but at that time there was no successful Hungarian footballer whose name I was proud enough to wear. Instead, I remember running around the beach in Balatonfüred in a jersey with my own name. The German tourists had a tough time trying to pronounce my name “Szász” when they saw it on my back, assuming it was a local star. Something tells me that the English will soon learn to pronounce “So-Boss-Laee” and that we can have an icon in common with them.
Dominik doesn't wear his own name on his body, but he does wear his little sister's and his parents' birth dates on his arm, also as tattoos. So they often "run out" with him on the pitch of the stadium where he has to prove himself. Whether it's the packed Puskás Arena, with the national colours on his arm, or – after Leipzig – Liverpool's Anfield Road, where the fans now sing the club anthem for him: "You'll Never Walk Alone". Well, of course not. Because he's taking everyone who’s ever helped him succeed with him. Mostly his mother, who used to sit down to study with the tired kid in the evenings. Or she'd just put out a good ‘vadas’ (hunters’ stew) in front of him from which a second helping was a lifesaver.
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