There is a midfielder who is following in the footsteps of Dominik Szoboszlai who the club should keep an eye on, especially because he is a Liverpool fan and idolizes Steven Gerrard
The signing of Dominik Szoboszlai by Liverpool was a watershed moment in Hungarian football history. Hungary, once a powerful footballing nation in the 1950s, has been living in the shadows of its history for decades. But, as foretold by the Reds’ new number eight, a new era has begun in recent years.
During this period, the national squad has risen up the rankings, including spectacular victories over Germany and England, notably a 4-0 thumping of the Three Lions. With a plethora of young and talented players, Hungary may be on the verge of another golden period, with the country attempting to qualify for a third consecutive European Championship for the first time in its history.
Currently leading its European Championship qualifying group, Marco Rossi named his current roster earlier this week for the crucial September match against Serbia, as well as a friendly against the Czech Republic.
Szoboszlai was, of course, included on the list as his country’s captain and major talisman, but there were also some unexpected inclusions who Liverpool should keep an eye on. One of them was Mihály Kata, who was called up for the first time and is well acclaimed in his homeland.
Kata is the youngest captain in the Hungarian league at the moment, having been granted the armband by MTK Budapest earlier this summer. Kata took over for former Liverpool attacker Krisztián Németh, who is the only Hungarian to have scored for the Reds’ first-team appearance after netting a brace in a friendly against Singapore XI in 2009.
Németh is still going strong at MTK, but the decision was made over the summer to hand the captaincy to Kata, who has been one of the club’s greatest players in recent years and has now been rewarded with a call-up to the senior national squad due to his good form.
Despite his young age, Kata has already made over 100 appearances for the club’s first team and has been around the senior team for quite some time, having made his debut as a teenager when he became the third youngest player in MTK’s history to make a debut in the top flight at 16 years, six months, and 18 days.
Szoboszlai himself spent time at the club’s academy, and Liverpool.com spoke to the club’s previous director on how remarkable the Hungarian was during his time at the club earlier this summer.
Many MTK academy graduates have previously transferred to Liverpool due to a cooperation between the two clubs, which included Péter Gulácsi. But that is no longer the case.
Nonetheless, MTK has continued to generate great talent, and Kata is among the best to have graduated from the academy’s ranks.
He plays as a holding midfielder, covers a lot of ground, and has excellent game reading abilities. Back in Hungary, he is regarded as one of the most promising young players in the Hungarian top flight at the moment. It’s also worth noting that Kata is a Liverpool supporter who grew up idolizing Steven Gerrard.
“I am a Liverpool fan,” Kata stated on the official YouTube channel of MTK Budapest. “[Steven] Gerrard has always been my favorite player since I was a kid.” He was a little more offensive [than me], and he wasn’t a six, but he was always someone I looked up to.
“Now I can learn by watching anyone in the Champions League playing in the ‘number six’ position, and I’m always trying to keep an eye on what they’re doing and how I can improve.”
Szoboszlai became Liverpool’s eighth signing after spending time growing at MTK Budapest. Kata still has a long way to go to become the tenth, but with recognition in his senior national team and being captain at such a young age, he has the ability to follow in the footsteps of his compatriots.
For the time being, he is someone to keep an eye on, with the Hungarian league a potential goldmine for clubs like Liverpool looking to find the ‘next Szoboszlai.’
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