07 September 2023 , 12:26
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Paul Ince claims anyone who compares Liverpool's new signing Dominik Szoboszlai to Steven Gerrard needs to "stop drinking".
The Reds completed a surprise move for the Hungarian, who had impressed with RB Leipzig, making him their second midfield addition in the summer. Jurgen Klopp has seen a host of his midfield options depart - Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and James Milner among them - leaving him to dip into the market.
Szoboszlai's characteristics have sounded him out as a key asset with the 22-year-old already impressing in the opening weeks of the season. His eye for goal, range of passing and huge engine have drawn comparisons with Gerrard - but Ince is having none of it.
He told LuckyBlock.com: "If anyone compares Liverpool midfielders to Steven Gerrard, those people need to stay away from the bars and stop drinking! You don't get players like Steven anymore. There will never be another Stevie G, Patrick Viera, or Roy Keane. Players like that aren't around anymore.
"Steven had the whole package. He had everything and you can't compare anyone with him. I played with and against Gerrard and he's one of the greatest ever players. In my day, you had to play well for decades before being 'world-class', nowadays a player has three or four good games and people claim they're world-class. It doesn't work like that. Especially not in my eyes."
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Szoboszlai has already got off the mark for the Reds and looks set to be a constant goal threat throughout the season. He's one of four new midfielders to arrive on Merseyside with the club also adding Alexis Mac Allister, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch on deadline day.
Dominik Szoboszlai scored in the recent win over Aston Villa (Getty Images)Speaking after Liverpool's latest win, which saw Szoboszlai get on the score sheet, Klopp was full of praise for the Hungarian. The German said: "He's a machine, eh? That is now four games, pretty impressive, absolutely impressive, tactically smart, absolutely ready for the dirty part of the game, really hard work, not the fancy stuff.
"It was so important how Curt [Jones] and Dom closed the spaces. What a goal, I saw it from behind, the cleanest striker I had seen for a long time."
Gerrard is regarded as among the finest players in Liverpool's history with Ince playing alongside him early in his career at Anfield. The midfield general helped the Reds claim every trophy possible with the exception of the Premier League during his time.