New Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola met the media today, as the team commences their preseason tour of America. Chicago will be their home base for the three match tour, and Iraola staged a press conference today at Endeavor Health Performance Center, home to the Chicago Fire FC of Major League Soccer. Iraola was asked about the significance of Dominik Szoboszlai committing his future to the club, and if doing so potentially sets him up to one day become a future team captain.
Happy summer tour friendly season!
Updates incoming…. pic.twitter.com/3nbap42Ux5— Paul M. Banks (@PaulMBanks) July 21, 2026
Liverpool Injury Updates: Danns, Endo, Bajcetic Ekitike, Bradley, Leoni
Iraola responded by saying it was “one of probably the greatest news since I’ve been here.”
And it’s easy to see why he might have said that, given how Szobo could be that consistent, steadying presence in the middle of the park, for years to come that every team needs.
In Liverpool terms, think Jordan Henderson or Steven Gerrard, or to a slightly lesser extent, James Milner. The new Szoboszlai contract extension, which keeps him at the club until 2031, now elevates his weekly wage to about £250,000 per week (around £13 million per year), which more than doubles his previous salary of about £120,000 per week.
“I think this is one of the probably greatest news since I arrived, his commitment to this club, his contract renewal,” Iraola said.
“Also, he has come in a great shape. He has been leading by example in training, he’s pushing a lot. I think young players should be looking at him, the way he is training and he competes.”
Regarding the 25-year-old Hungarian international’s potential to be a captain and/or leaders of the side, Iraola said:
“Definitely he has to be one of our leaders looking forward and I’m looking forward to having him in my team, to try to use him in the best way, to try to help him feel comfortable and try to make him continue the same way he’s having, because I think he had a very good season [in the] past season. And even, if we can, improve what he’s already doing.”
‘Szobo’ has scored 15 goals in 105 appearances for the Merseyside club, since he joined from RB Leipzig in 2023. The Szoboszlai question was followed up by a query on the team’s vice-captaincy situation.
Yes, it’s easy to see how these two topics are directly related.
“I will address (this topic later on this preseason) met almost half of the squad, I still haven’t seen them face-to-face,” Iraola responded.
“So, I think we will take the decision when it happens. But I always say, you don’t need to wear an armband to be a leader, to be a captain.
“Sometimes I understand here in England it has a lot of meaning, there is a lot behind [it], but I’ve had a lot of captains, leaders without wearing the armband.”
Iraola then continued on further:
“You can lead a team, you can be an important player, you can be… not just because one wears [an armband] it has to be like [that]. No, no, we need more than one or two vice-captains, we need a lot of captains in the pitch, we need as many as we can.
“Yes, I’m sure that whatever the decisions we take in terms of the armband, a lot of players will continue leading.”
2026 Liverpool USA Preseason Tour
July 25, Sunderland, Nashville, TN
July 29, Wrexham, Yankee Stadium, New York, NY
Aug 2, Leeds United, Soldier Field, Chicago, IL
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.