Dominik Szoboszlai’s phone rang right before he was to board a plane to Liverpool for the next important step in his already excellent professional advancement.

Erling Haaland, a close friend and former teammate, texted him two words: “Get ready.”

From one “monster” to another, two top-tier players joined the Premier League within a year of each other for prices that were excessive even by today’s standards.

Actually, Haaland’s message wasn’t even that important. Szoboszlai seemed to have been predestined for a career with Liverpool, right down to the Steven Gerrard quote tattoo he was already sporting on his arm.

Those familiar with the 22-year-old Hungarian are not surprised by his decision to wear Gerrard’s No.8 jersey at the club he joined at the end of July for £60 million. The midfielder is completely certain of his own abilities.

The 16-year-old scored an ιnjury-time winner to send Hungary’s U17 team to the European Championships against Haaland’s Norway, and the following year, senior national team coach Marco Rossi gave him his debut.

For the same reason that Jurgen Klopp spent £60 million to recruit the midfielder to Anfield, Rossi elected him captain. “Because of personality and his natural leadership,” the Italian coach said.

It was “his unbelievable personality, his natural leadership at such a young age, and of course all this together with his talent and commitment” that impressed people the most right from the start. Dominik has everyone on the national team convinced that he will become one of Liverpool’s most valuable players.

Szoboszlai, like Haaland, was able to depart RB Leipzig under favorable terms because of a release provision in his contract.

Manchester United spent nearly twice as much on the aging Casemiro but only about half as much as Chelsea did on Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo.

Nonetheless, he has already demonstrated the great promise that has every coach who has worked with him raving about his talent within just two games since joining Liverpool…to the point where some have called him the best midfield acquisition of a crаzy Premier League summer transfer window.

Szoboszlai’s teammate on the Hungarian national team, goalkeeper Adam Bogdan, is the last Hungarian to play for Liverpool. Bogdan knows the club well and is confident in his chances of succeeding there.

“The sky is the limit for him. In the last few years at least, and perhaps ever, he has been Hungary’s greatest talent. And he is unfazed by the weight of that reputation; he will not be playing for Liverpool.

I suppose he has a similar mindset with one of his football best pals, Erling Haaland. He rarely, if ever, experiences feаr or nervousness. He seems to do better under intense strеss.