How Hungarian duo Dominik Szoboszlai and Milos Kerkez are lighting up Liverpool: The midfielder’s captaincy dream, how he perfected ‘knuckle-ball’ free-kick, fact about Real Madrid rumours and serving to hand for his compatriot

Hungary headed into the 1954 World Cup as heavy favourites. Unsurprisingly so, given they had scored 119 goals in a 28-game unbeaten run before the tournament – including a 6-3 spanking of England at Wembley that shocked 105,000 disbelieving punters. The ‘Mighty Magyars’ duly cruised to the final, beating Brazil and holders Uruguay on the way.

Spearheaded by the great Ferenc Puskas, they led 2-0 after eight minutes in that final, against a West Germany side they had already beaten 8-3 in the group stage. The Jules Rimet trophy appeared bound for Budapest.

The rest, as they say, is history: the trophy somehow eluded Hungary thanks to ‘The Miracle of Bern’ as the Germans fought back to win 3-2. And from that point on, Hungarian football only went backwards. 

Until now. OK, they are not going to return to the World Cup final any time soon (they failed to qualify for this year’s tournament, for starters) but they are on the rise thanks to two lads at Liverpool in particular: Dominik Szoboszlai and Milos Kerkez. 

Szoboszlai has indisputably been the best player in a disappointing campaign for the champions – right back, goal-scoring midfielder, deep-lying No 6, winger, wherever you want him – while Kerkez is coming good after a slow start. 

They are not the first Hungarians to play regularly in English football, of course – think Zoltan Gera, or goalkeepers Adam Bogdan and Gabor Kiraly (who wore grey tracksuit bottoms in goal). But the dynamic duo at Liverpool are putting Hungary on the map like never before. 

‘In Hungary, we are in dreamland,’ Bogdan, the former No 1 who had a stint at Liverpool and is now a pundit, tells Daily Mail Sport, before revealing there is a bar in Budapest which is frequently packed-out with fans in Liverpool shirts. 

Ferencvaros are the best-supported team in Hungary but many fans of the domestic champions also follow Liverpool because of their Anfield ties. Midfielder Naby Keita, a former cult hero at the Reds, plays for Ferencvaros, who are managed by former Liverpool striker Robbie Keane. 

The Hungarian connection at Anfield is not limited to Szoboszlai and Kerkez, mind. Goalkeeper Armin Pecsi, who shares an agent with Szoboszlai, was recruited this summer from Puskas Academia, while 16-year-old Erik Farkas is a name to remember. The midfielder, who is also eligible for England, is a talented prospect. 

Szoboszlai and Kerkez look set to form a key part of the Liverpool team for years to come. Although fans may not want to hear it, the days of Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, Alisson, Andy Robertson and Co will not go on for ever. A new core is needed. 

Szoboszlai, though he has never publicly admitted it, has his eye on the captain’s armband in the future. Now 25, the midfielder has made a conscious effort this season to become more of a leader. He has been skipper of Hungary since the tender age of 22. 

‘(He is) a player who I think can still make the next step in terms of being a leader for this team,’ Virgil van Dijk, the current captain, said this week. ‘It starts by leading by example and that’s something he has done so far this season. But also everything around it, there is still progress to be made and that’s a good thing in my opinion so hopefully he will be very important for years to come at Liverpool.’ 

Szoboszlai is the standard-bearer this term and it is fair to say that his stellar performances have been let down by sub-par displays from his team-mates. Take the Manchester City defeat recently, for example: his free-kick was stunning enough to win any game – but it ended in a loss. 

When Florian Wirtz was signed, there were no guarantees that Szoboszlai would be in the best XI. Most observers would have had the new German in front of Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister, both imperious last season. But Szoboszlai has been better than all three of them. 

Daily Mail Sport sat down with Szoboszlai in Singapore not long after his arrival in the summer of 2023 and the former RB Leipzig man, clean-shaven and maybe a little nervous, told us all how he idolised Steven Gerrard growing up and has a tattoo in honour of him.

‘When I was a young boy I watched a lot of games from a lot of teams, and to wear his No 8 is a pleasure,’ he said at the time. ‘I was just a teenager and I liked the message the tattoo gave me (“God gives you talent, but if you don’t work hard and sacrifice a lot, it is nothing”). So I had a bet with my dad.’ 

A 17-year-old Szoboszlai was told by his father, Zsolt, that he would let him get the tattoo – you needed parental consent at that age – if he broke a running test record at Red Bull Salzburg. Given what we know about running machine Szoboszlai, it is no surprise he did just that. 

Zsolt, a former player himself in Hungary, was crucial to his son’s development: one regular drill was a slalom course around water bottles – if one fell over, he had to start again. He played football with golf balls in his hands so he would not be tempted to foul opponents. 

Szoboszlai left his Playstation in Leipzig when moving over to England and instead spends lots of time practising his ‘knuckle-ball’ free-kicks. Liverpool scouts knew he could do it but only recently has he started to score the sort of strikes that made his highlight reel a Gerrard-esque watch. Based on this season there is no reason why Szoboszlai cannot come close to emulating his idol. 

He lives a stone’s throw from Erling Haaland and the two are good pals, despite their tussle at Anfield a fortnight ago. But Kerkez is probably his best mate and ‘Agent Szoboszlai’, as he was jokingly nicknamed, was crucial in tempting the Serbian-born Hungarian international over to Liverpool this summer. Both Manchester clubs had also posted an interest in the then-Bournemouth left back. 

Kerkez also has a strong father behind him and Sebastijan is often on taxi duty for training. A keen swimmer and fisherman, 22-year-old Kerkez sacrificed a lot in his youth career, leaving Serbia for the youth teams of Rapid Vienna and AC Milan, scouted by Paolo Maldini.    

‘He is so eager and self-assured that he belongs at the top,’ says Bogdan. ‘When he first came into the national team, I heard stories about him… he brought the place alive, lots of jokes, and made it fun to be there. My friend at AZ Alkmaar absolutely adored him, the work-rate, the effort. 

‘At his local team in Hungary, Gyor, they tell me he was like a “young horse”, kicking everybody but with sheer commitment and liveliness. It was always very clear to see that he would be at the top one day.’    

He is also mates with a City star, Tijjani Reijnders, and has settled at Liverpool after a rocky start. Kerkez has leant on Robertson for help and sees him not as a rival for the left back position but someone who he can learn from, a privilege many players are not afforded. 

Kerkez’s development has gone somewhat under the radar but Slot is delighted with him and how his fitness has improved in the more intense environment of playing most midweeks as well as weekends, something he was not used to at Bournemouth.

Szoboszlai’s rise, though, has been clear for all to see – not least Real Madrid. The Spanish giants have an interest in him, and why wouldn’t they be keen? Vinicius Junior is friends with the Hungarian. 

Worry not, though, Liverpool fans: Szoboszlai loves life at Anfield and said just a fortnight ago when asked about a new contract (talks are ongoing): ‘I like the city, I like the club, I like playing with these guys, I love Anfield, I love the fans, let’s see what the future holds.’ 

The long-term future at Liverpool is looking bright, with several other talented stars bought at around the same age as Szoboszlai and Kerkez. Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Jeremy Jacquet, Giovanni Leoni, Jeremie Frimpong, Gravenberch… they are only getting better. 

As for the short-term future… well, after a bitterly disappointing league title defence, the Reds are still in the FA Cup and Champions League. The location for the final of the latter? Budapest’s Puskas Arena. No prizes for guessing who the locals would want to win.