SZOBOSZLAI: “HARD WORK AND DEDICATION EVENTUALLY PAY OFF”

21 Jan 2020

Doha, 21 January 2020. One of the most promising young players of Austrian champion FC Red Bull Salzburg, that is currently at Aspire Academy for a winter training camp, is Dominik Szoboszlai. In the following interview, the 19-year-old midfielder, who has already played for Hungary’s senior national team, reflects about playing with Salzburg in two editions of the “Al Kass International Cup” in Doha and explains how former teammate Erling Haaland became an inspiration for fellow young payers.





Dominik, you are currently here with Red Bull Salzburg for a training camp at Aspire Academy. What kind of experience has it been for you so far?


It’s been awesome. The hotel is fantastic, the pitches are in great shape and the weather is much better than in Austria. Everything is just perfect.





You are actually quite familiar with the place here, since you were part of Salzburg’s U17 teams that participated in the “Al Kass International Cup” at Aspire in 2016 and 2017.


That’s right, I was here when I was playing for the club’s U16 and U17 teams and both times we did quite well and made it to the semi-finals, where we lost against Real Madrid and Aspire. In the end we finished third in both years, but it’s too bad, because I think we could have won it.





How important are international tournaments like the “Al Kass International Cup” for the development of young players?


It’s a good opportunity to be seen. I heard that there a number of really good teams coming also this year and I am sure a lot of scouts are going to be watching from the stands.





Your former teammate Erling Haaland impressed with his goal streak in UEFA Champions League and recently made headlines by scoring a hat-trick on his debut for Borussia Dortmund. You also made a huge step forward over the last few months with Salzburg and the Hungarian national team. What do you think is the most important thing to be able to perform at such a high level as a young player?


Of course, it’s not easy, to do these things as a young player. But Erling’s success proved that hard work and dedication eventually pay off. He showed that it’s possible to compete at this high level at that age and he has definitely become a role model for other young players.



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