Dominik Szoboszlai has described why he chose Liverpool’s legendary No. 8 shirt, as well as the significance of his Steven Gerrard tattoo.

Szoboszlai joined Liverpool from RB Leipzig for £60 million on Sunday, becoming Jurgen Klopp’s second signing of the summer.

His arrival follows that of Alexis MacAllister, who has worn the No. 10 shirt since joining from Brighton, a position originally held by Sadio Mane before his departure to Bayern Munich last summer.

Meanwhile, Szoboszlai inherited the No. 8 shirt, which is now vacant with the departure of Naby Keita, but was most notably worn by Gerrard.

Following his Istanbul exploits and captain’s commitment to the Merseyside club, Gerrard has served as a model for many Liverpool players in previous years.

That admiration extends to Szoboszlai, who has a quotation from the former England midfielder tattooed on his arm: “Talent is a divine blessing, but without incredible will and humility, it is worth nothing.”

And the 22-year-old has finally revealed the extent of its power.

Gerrard’s tattoo is explained by Szoboszlai.

The Hungary international explained his decision to wear the No. 8 shirt in an interview with LFCTV about his arrival to Anfield.

“Not for any special reason, but it’s a large number,” he explained.

“This number was used by many notable players.

“I also have a tattoo from Steven Gerrard, what he said – I don’t even remember when but before – so that was another reason.”

Emile Heskey wore the No. 8 shirt before Gerrard, with other prominent incumbents being Oyvind Leonhardsen, Stan Collymore, Jamie Redknapp, and Paul Stewart.

Szoboszlai will hope to emulate Gerrard’s heroics in a red shirt as he attempts to drag Liverpool back into title contention after a poor 2022/23 season.