Vladimir Smicer knows what it means to own a moment in Liverpool folklore. Six years at Anfield, 183 appearances, 19 goals – and one of them on the greatest night of all in Istanbul. That sort of history sharpens the eye when you look at the next generation.
From a distance now, at 53, Smicer has been watching Dominik Szoboszlai grow into the kind of figure he recognises. Not just a talented midfielder. A reference point. A leader.
A new heartbeat in Liverpool’s midfield
Szoboszlai arrived with a reputation for spectacular goals and a highlight reel full of free-kicks. He has gone beyond that. Under Andoni Iraola, the 25-year-old has started to look like the beating heart of Liverpool’s midfield, a player trusted to operate across the pitch – even filling in at right-back when required – but clearly at his most dangerous when he is allowed to drive forward.
The latest reminder came in the Carabao Cup. Tottenham were hanging on. Szoboszlai stepped up from 30 yards and ripped a thunderbolt into the top corner, the ball dipping and curling viciously as it flew past a helpless goalkeeper. It felt less like a cup tie and more like a statement. One swing of his boot, and Spurs were out.
Smicer has seen that kind of authority before.
Echoes of Nedved
For years, Pavel Nedved set the standard for Czech midfielders. The 2003 Ballon d’Or winner was, for a spell, regarded as the best player on the planet – a relentless runner who mixed ferocious work rate with elegance and end product. Goals from distance, late runs into the box, creation from deep: Nedved stitched all of it together.
Smicer hears the comparisons between Nedved and Szoboszlai. He does not dismiss them. He leans into them.
“Dominik Szoboszlai and Pavel Nedved are similar in the physical side of the game. They both have that capacity for running, fighting and taking shots,” he told GOAL, speaking in association with Grosvenor Sport.
“Pavel’s work rate was really high and Szobo is the same. He can run, tackle and both players can score goals with their left foot, right foot and what I think they have in common is their leadership qualities too.”
That last point matters most. Technique can be coached, systems can be drilled. Leadership is harder to manufacture.
Leaders in every line
Liverpool still have Virgil van Dijk marshalling the back line, but modern elite sides need more than one voice. They need lieutenants across the pitch – especially in midfield, where the game’s tempo is set and broken.
“Virgil van Dijk is still a Liverpool player but you need those leaders in every line of your team, and ideally someone in midfield and I think Szobo is becoming that leader in midfield,” Smicer said.
“He was already playing as the leader last year when he was our best player in the team. He just needs to continue working because in a game, he can do anything. He can play the passes, make the plays, score the goals, and that’s what Liverpool need.”
It is a powerful endorsement from a man who knows what it takes to drive a team through the biggest occasions. Smicer sees in Szoboszlai not just flair, but the stubbornness and stamina that defined Nedved – that constant willingness to run, tackle, and then still have the quality to decide a match.
Unbeaten, but unfinished
Liverpool, now under the guidance of Spanish coach Andoni Iraola, remain unbeaten in the 2026-27 campaign. The record looks good. The performances, by general consensus, still have another gear to find.
That is where Szoboszlai becomes central. He is not just a luxury playmaker dropped into a functioning machine; he is being asked to become the engine itself. To knit pressing and possession together. To turn promising moves into decisive ones. To be the player who, when the match drifts, grabs it by the collar.
On Sunday, Liverpool travel to Bournemouth before the season pauses for the first international break. They go there still searching for their full potential, still shaping a new identity under Iraola.
If Szoboszlai continues on this path – part Nedved, part his own creation – the question for Liverpool may not be whether they can find that next level, but how far he can drag them once he gets there.
