DOMINIC KING: Liverpool new boy Dominik Szoboszlai is already winning over Jurgen Klopp with his boundless stamina

Dominik Szoboszlai’s eyes widened then came an almighty puff of his cheeks. The question that prompted this reaction was innocent but you knew immediately a revealing answer would follow.

So it proved. The Hungary international has been around Liverpool’s squad for less than two week but, already, he has been dragged out of conditions he was used to and thrust into a relentless and intensely competitive new world.

‘It was not easy!’ said Szoboszlai, who arrived after Liverpool met a £60million release clause to prise him from RB Leipzig. ‘I came from a really good team in Leipzig and pre-season is hard everywhere but I never had three training sessions a day before in my life!’

He has found out, deep in The Black Forest, this is exactly how Jurgen Klopp likes it, with intense running exercises taking players to the edge of their limits. But, equally, Klopp has found out that this is how Szoboszlai likes it, too.

First impressions last and Szoboszlai – a tall, imposing, athletic figure – struck a chord with his new team-mates when winning the running session he was involved in but there is far more to this 22-year-old than boundless stamina.

Dominik Szoboszlai signed for Liverpool after the Reds triggered his £60million release clause

The Hungarian midfielder has impressed with his stamina, winning running drills in training

The former RB Leipzig star was in action for Liverpool on Wednesday night in Karlsruhe

His first appearance in a Red shirt, wearing number eight on his back, had Klopp nodding approvingly as he completed 44 of the 46 passes he attempted in the 4-2 win over Karlsruhe on Wednesday, a 45-minute cameo that was full of promise.

This, of course, is only a starting point but the ambition is bursting out of a player, whose route to Anfield came via Red Bull Salzburg, where he was a team-mate of Erling Haaland, and onto Leipzig, where he marked himself out as one of the most promising young players in Europe.

‘I enjoyed it a lot,’ Sbozoszlai said, reflecting on his first appearance. ‘I felt really good, in good condition with good players, in an unbelievable stadium. It was a good first one and I am ready to go now. They squad have been really welcoming, really nice.

‘I feel as if I was here (a long time) already, even though I only knew Ibou (Konate, from their time together at Leipzig). Everybody has been really kind to me, nice and helped a lot when I had questions that needed answering.’

Szoboszlai has walked into a dressing room that, in the main, has become used to winning over the last five years. Though the most recent campaign was a disappointment, exacerbated by a failure to qualify for the Champions League, the intention is to put things right this time around.

‘To be honest, we can achieve everything that we want, if we do it in the right way,’ said Szoboszlai, who was the subject of persistent interest from Newcastle. ‘We have some goals for this year. We spoke (ourselves) in the team, the coach spoke to us and told us what he wants to see from us.

‘I think we have the quality. We have the coach for it; we have the fans for it, we have everything we need. Now it depends on us. When I heard that Liverpool is interested in me, I didn’t need to think so much. It’s a fantastic club.

‘I played against them at Anfield already (for Salzburg), and the fans were unbelievable. The coach is one of the best coaches in the world. The guys have a lot of quality, a lot of them have won everything you can win. I want to learn from them and achieve everything that is possible with them.

‘Before I came here, I already put these players on the highest level, so I expected (to see quality) from them. I want to learn a lot from them, how to be a player at that level. I want to help. I want to work for the team, give the fans what they deserve.’

He has only been in and around the squad for a couple of weeks but already says he feels at home

It says something about his personality that Szoboszlai took the number of Liverpool’s biggest legend, Steven Gerrard

Adjusting will not be a problem as Szoboszlai speaks perfect English and it says something about his character that he asked to take the number eight jersey, synonymous in recent times with Steven Gerrard. It was a shirt that Naby Keita failed to fill but the new incumbent doesn’t lack confidence.

‘I just want to be on the pitch!’ he said ‘But as a number eight, a number 10… if I have to slide back a little bit to take the ball as a No.6? No problem. I want to be more towards the goal but, yeah, I’m a box-to-box (midfielder) I would say!’

He was just about to bound back to Liverpool’s team coach, knowing there would be a need to stop for a few selfies along the way, but there was one last point to make. This, as much as his running and his quality, will resonate most with Klopp.

‘To me, the team comes before everything,’ Sbozoszlai stressed. ‘It doesn’t matter what I’m doing, as long as the team is doing well. That is all that matters.’