Reds welcome Dominik Szoboszlai as pre-season approaches

We’re just weeks away from the start of the new season and Dominik Szoboszlai can’t wait to meet his new teammates at Liverpool Football Club.

Welcome to Liverpool Football Club, Dominik Szoboszlai.

Our new No.8 officially joined Jürgen Klopp’s Reds at the weekend from RB Leipzig, and the 22-year-old can’t wait to get started ahead of the new Premier League season.

Hungarian captain Szoboszlai - having told us how to pronounce his name - revealed to LiverpoolFC.com what made the move to Merseyside so appealing to him.

“[A] really historic club, really good players, good coach, everything is good. For me it was perfect to make the next step in a club like this. The fans, the stadium, everything is really good,” he said.

The chance to work with Klopp, in particular, is one that the young attacking midfielder could not turn down.

“As I said I think in 2020, [he is] one of the best coaches in the world.

“How he acts next to the pitch - like he would [be] playing with the guys - [I] liked it really a lot.

“Also how he did in the last years, what he achieved with this club, [I] was also really impressed. I’m looking forward to working with him.”

Szoboszlai will join fellow new signing Alexis Mac Allister at Anfield next season, with the players set to return for pre-season over the coming week ahead of a number of July fixtures.

The club’s first pre-season clash will take place against Karlsruher SC on Wednesday July 19 at the BBBank Wildpark in Germany, before a behind-closed-doors friendly against Greuther Furth on Monday July 24.

The Reds will then fly out to Southeast Asia, and face Leicester City FC in Singapore on Sunday July 30 before a date with FC Bayern Munich on Wednesday August 2.

All eyes will then turn to the start of the Premier League season, and the trip to face Chelsea FC at Stamford Bridge on Sunday August 13.

A lot of work must be done before then, however, and an LFC stalwart has been speaking about how tough pre-season training can be under Klopp.

Lucas Leiva was a mainstay of the Reds’ midfield for 10 years, between 2007 and 2017, and remains close to the hearts of the Anfield faithful to this day.

The recently-retired Brazilian will join the club in Singapore as one of six legends, meeting supporters and taking part in club-related events, and will be pleased not to have join the current crop of Reds stars on the training pitch.

"As we know, Jürgen's teams play with intensity that is different to another manager,” Lucas said.

“But the first pre-season [in 2016] was really tough. Lots of running. Especially in the first 10 days, two weeks, I think it's the most difficult.

“Jürgen likes to work as after the pre-season you don't have too much time to train, so it's a really important part of the season."

Lucas also warned Szoboszlai and Mac Allister to have their party pieces ready.

"I think that it's the case now that when a new player comes in, you have to sing,” he added.

“Probably the South American guys introduced that, I'm sure of that, because it's very common here in Brazil or in South America when a new player comes in that they sing or they have to make a speech or something like this.

"It's really important. I think that's why they travel as well – to spend as much time as they can together and to [get] to know the new players because if they settle in quickly I think it will be a benefit for everyone.

"They start to understand the identity of the club, the other players, the [way] teammates want to play, strengths, weaknesses."

The 36-year-old also had words of encouragement for Darwin Nunez, having spoken to former LFC team-mate Luis Suarez while the two players were at Gremio in Brazil.

“[Luis] told me that Darwin is a shy boy, very calm, very quiet, but a player that wants to improve all the time,” Lucas explained.

"He's a goalscorer, we have no doubt about that. With his pace as well, I think it will be important to help him achieve what he wants this season.

"Luis has done really well and I'm very close to him now here in Brazil. Darwin in his first season, I think he was great.

"We know how difficult it is to come and play, the demands are really high, the way Liverpool play is different. So I think he's done well.

"Of course in the second season we are all looking forward to seeing him improve again, because he's young, he's fast and can score goals.”

Finally, Liverpool FC recently confirmed that Fabio Carvalho and Owen Beck will leave the club this summer on season-long loans.

Carvalho, who scored three times during his first season at Liverpool FC last season, will gain valuable experience at RB Leipzig during the upcoming campaign.

Young defender Beck, meanwhile, will join Dundee in the Scottish Premiership.