Dominik Szoboszlai recently accomplished something at Liverpool that no other midfielder under Jürgen Klopp has ever done, demonstrating that the Reds have a new marathon player on their hands this season.
In the club’s first five Premier League games of the new season, three Liverpool players have appeared in every minute, and two of their names are predictable.
First-choice left-back Andy Robertson and goalkeeper Alisson are both expected to be constants in the competition barring any injuries.
The third, however—new signing Dominik Szoboszlai—might raise questions. Although the $77 million (£60 million/€70 million) player may still be adjusting to his new environment, boss Jürgen Klopp has shown no signs of concern.
Szoboszlai has played more minutes than Mohamed Salah, who is disappointed because he lost his starting spot against Chelsea on the first day.
Szoboszlai, along with Robertson, Jol Matip, Ragnar Klavan, Virgil van Dijk, Ozan Kabak, and Ibrahima Konaté, are the only seven players to have played the full 90 minutes in each of their first five Premier League appearances under the German manager.
As you can see, all of the other players on the list are defenders, which is not surprising given how infrequently managers make substitutions in this area unless there is an injury. Thus, in his ninth season as manager, Szoboszlai is the first midfielder or attacker Klopp has signed to accomplish this record.
Why then does the 22-year-old play football so much at such a young age? There are many causes, maybe most importantly his performance levels. Szoboszlai would probably come out on top in a way too early vote for Liverpool’s player of the year thus far. Since Klopp already sees him as a game-changer, he will want him on the field—especially when the game is still close (four of Liverpool’s five games this season, if you count the 10 vs. 11 match with Bournemouth—have been close).
His adaptability is a further important factor. Szoboszlai has already performed admirably for Liverpool as an advanced number eight and a surprise number six, demonstrating his versatility and ability to thrive in a variety of roles. Late in games, Klopp will frequently switch up his lineup and employ unusual formations, but his record midfield signing can adjust to them. He’ll soon be playing on the right wing, where he excelled while at RB Leipzig.
We must also recognize his extraordinary energy. When he joined the team, Szoboszlai was marketed as a marathon runner, and he has lived up to that reputation, covering the sixth-longest distance of any Premier League player, behind Dejan Kulusevski of Spurs, Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United, Philip Billing of Bournemouth, Declan Rice of West Ham, and Rodri of Manchester City.
His unwavering determination to chase back and support the back four has been a defining trait of his early performances, earning Klopp’s nickname of “machine.” He does appear to have an unending supply of batteries (source: Mirror).
Many of the new players that the Liverpool manager has brought in have previously been given time to adjust, but there is no reason to wait with Szoboszlai because he has already proven to be too useful and significant.