When a former Manchester United defender starts singing the praises of a Liverpool star, you know something special is happening. Jaap Stam, the iconic Red Devils center-back, has thrown his weight behind Dominik Szoboszlai as a serious contender for the Premier League's end-of-season individual awards.

It's been a turbulent campaign for Liverpool, with their title defense fading early. But amid the chaos, Szoboszlai has been a beacon of consistency at Anfield. The Hungarian midfielder has been so impressive that he's already won Liverpool's Player of the Month award five times this season—a feat matched only by Mohamed Salah and Philippe Coutinho since 2011.

Speaking to ComeOn via the Liverpool Echo, Stam explained his reasoning: "I understand Gabriel being talked about as the Player of the Season, his defending and goalscoring and his role at Arsenal, but for me it should be Bruno Fernandes. I think another player who could be up there is Dominik Szoboszlai from Liverpool. I'm not sure if they talk about him for this award."

While Liverpool fans might bristle at Stam backing Fernandes for the top prize (even if the United captain has had a fine campaign), they'll nod in approval at the Dutchman's recognition of Szoboszlai. The numbers back it up too: before last weekend, only Fernandes had created more chances in the Premier League than Szoboszlai's 65, putting the Hungarian ahead of stars like Declan Rice, Enzo Fernandez, and Rayan Cherki.

For a player wearing the famous red shirt, that's the kind of form that deserves a spot in the conversation—even if it comes from an unexpected source.