Virgil van Dijk has thrown his support behind Dominik Szoboszlai as the man he believes will eventually take over the Liverpool captaincy, while also dismissing suggestions that Alexander Isak was rattled by a hostile reception on his return to Newcastle.
Isak was jeered and whistled throughout his first appearance at St James' Park since completing a controversial £125million move to Anfield last summer. The Swedish striker endured a quiet afternoon as Liverpool were held to a 2-2 draw, rescued in dramatic fashion by Szoboszlai's penalty deep into stoppage time, in the 99th minute.
Notably, it was Szoboszlai rather than Isak who stepped up to take the crucial spot-kick, converting under intense pressure to secure a point for the visitors. Van Dijk insisted the hostile atmosphere directed at Isak had little bearing on his performance.
"I wasn't affected by it if I was him. I don't think he was affected by it," Van Dijk said. "He tried to play his game. There were good moments and there were moments he could have done better, like all of us. I don't think that impacted him."
Szoboszlai, who was named Liverpool's player of the year last season, opened the current campaign with a goal and followed it up with the composed penalty at Newcastle. Van Dijk praised the Hungarian midfielder's temperament under pressure.
"He took plenty already and he scored plenty," Van Dijk said. "Not a bad hit. He has the quality. He has shown it in the penalties he took in previous years. It was quite a high-tension penalty and it shows how good a player he is."
Szoboszlai was recently elevated into Liverpool's leadership group by new head coach Andoni Iraola, filling the void left by the departures of vice-captain Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah. The other members of that leadership circle - Van Dijk, Alisson and Joe Gomez - are all entering the final year of their contracts, whereas Szoboszlai has committed his long-term future to the club by signing a new five-year deal.
Van Dijk, who at 35 remains Liverpool's captain, made clear he sees the 24-year-old as his eventual successor in the role.
"Every leadership group is important," he said. "Obviously there is experience and there is someone in terms of Dom who has been the captain of his country, and that will only help him to be part of this group. He has to take responsibility to take that on his shoulders and it is going to benefit us also in the long run with Szoboszlai signing a new deal. He will be here to take over."
Attention now turns to Liverpool's search for a long-term replacement for Salah on the wing. The club had two bids rejected last week for Brighton winger Yankuba Minteh, and Van Dijk expressed hope that further reinforcements would arrive before the transfer window closes.
"Everyone wants to see quality arrive regardless," he said. "I fully trust the club and the board to make the right decisions. That's the only thing I can say."
Van Dijk also acknowledged that adapting to Iraola's methods and tactical approach will take time following the managerial change at Anfield.
"I think it is absolutely normal in any type of profession or work that if you come in new and you have new plans and ideas that it takes a bit of time," he said. "It is down to us to do it as soon as we can. We want to improve. We want to win. We want to do better. That is what we are going to try and do from tomorrow."
Based on reporting from Independent Football.