“I Like Him a Lot” – Dominik Szoboszlai Names One Liverpool Youngster He Raved About to Quansah During Pre-season Game
Arne Slot gave several Liverpool young players the opportunity to play in Saturday’s pre-season victory over Real Betis.
The Reds began their new season in Pittsburgh, defeating the La Liga team 1-0. Even with many Liverpool players still on holiday, Slot was able to put together a solid starting lineup.
The Reds’ formation had some interesting tweaks, with Dominik Szoboszlai playing further up the field alongside Harvey Elliott. Slot provided insights into this tactical decision.
Pre-season games are often a platform for academy players to prove themselves, and against Betis, one young player particularly stood out.
Dominik Szoboszlai Raves About Trey Nyoni
During Saturday’s victory, Slot utilized 13 players aged 21 or younger out of a total of 23. He confidently gave these young talents a chance on the field.
Some of these young players already have considerable experience. Despite being only 21, Elliott has seen significant playtime, as have Fabio Carvalho, Conor Bradley, and Jarell Quansah for Liverpool.
On the other hand, some players are quite new to the scene, with 17-year-old Trey Nyoni being the youngest to participate.
Even with his young age, Nyoni has already debuted for Liverpool’s senior team. He made an appearance against Southampton in the Carabao Cup at Anfield last season.
Nyoni made a strong impression on Klopp during that match and stood out again against Betis.
Liverpool supporters were amazed by Nyoni’s performance during his approximately 40 minutes on the field.
Moreover, Szoboszlai also took notice. In an interview with LFCTV after the match, the Hungarian expressed his admiration for the young player and mentioned he has been raving about him to Quansah.
“I like him a lot,” says Szoboszlai when asked about Nyoni’s performance. “He is a really offensive player. I just told to Quansah on the bench that you can’t even foul him because of his movement.
“Everybody could see in the second-half, Nat [Phillips] was at centre-back but otherwise everybody was young, almost none of them were 20. They still did a good job, didn’t concede a goal and had chances. So, yeah, a good future.”
Nyoni’s performance against Betis was impressive enough to spotlight a young talent. At just 17 years old, the former Leicester prospect demonstrated his ability to control the game.
What distinguishes him is his composure with the ball. As noted by Szoboszlai, Nyoni consistently appears to be one step ahead of his opponent, showcasing excellent vision and precision in his passing.
Curtis Jones has suggested that central midfielders might be crucial in unlocking Slot’s system at Liverpool.
Based on this limited evidence, Nyoni appears to be a player who could excel within such a system.
Liverpool’s decision to recruit Nyoni from Leicester when he was only 16 indicates their belief in his potential to become a first-team player. If he continues on this path, that prospect may materialize sooner than anticipated.
In other Liverpool news, Arne Slot Reveals Tactic Liverpool Definitely Will Not Unleash in 2024-25 Season After Real Betis Victory
