Dominik Szoboszlai has given Liverpool fans a small but telling glimpse into the mood around the club by tagging Mohamed Salah in a gym selfie as pre-season begins to take shape.
The 25-year-old midfielder returned to work over the weekend and posted a picture with the simple message: “Back”. It was a neat detail, but one that fits a wider story around Szoboszlai at Liverpool, where his status is rising at exactly the right time.
That matters because Liverpool begin pre-season training at the AXA Training Centre on Monday, July 13, and this summer’s tour of the United States will bring a different kind of pressure. With senior figures absent for parts of that trip, Szoboszlai is among the names being viewed as a possible leadership candidate.
Salah’s standard has already been set
The timing of the post also links directly to Mohamed Salah’s comments from May, when he said Liverpool needed players who would set the standard early in the day and make the gym part of the culture.
Salah said: “I told them when I leave: ‘You need an example here’.” He added that Liverpool need people who “come early to the gym” so that others look at them and follow the same routine.
His point was clear enough. Standards are not built by reputation alone. They are built by habits that other players can see and copy.
That is why Szoboszlai’s selfie feels more than just a light social-media moment. It places him in the same conversation as the players expected to help drive the daily tone at Liverpool, especially at a time when the club is preparing for a summer that includes Sunderland, Wrexham and Leeds United in the United States.
Why Szoboszlai’s role matters now
Szoboszlai is also in talks over a new deal at Anfield, which adds another layer to the story. For a player already being discussed as a possible leader on the U.S. tour, contract uncertainty can shape how supporters view the next few weeks.
That is where the situation becomes interesting for Liverpool. They are not only looking at performances in pre-season, but also at who carries authority, who trains properly, and who looks ready to take responsibility.
There is also the broader concern around Ibrahima Konate, whose situation may unsettle some fans while Szoboszlai is trying to establish his own place in the group. In that sense, the midfielder’s “Back” post feels like a signal that he is already switched on for the demands ahead.
Liverpool will not judge leadership by a selfie alone. But they will notice who is first in, who sets the tone, and who looks comfortable in that space. On that evidence, Szoboszlai has put himself firmly in the frame.
