Dominik Szoboszlai has aimed a veiled gesture at his critics and insists he is only human and will have bad games.

The Liverpool vice-captain came in for criticism on Saturday after a sub-par performance against Fulham but hit back in style with a goal-of-the-season contender in the 3-1 midweek victory over Tottenham.

Szoboszlai celebrated by putting his finger in his ear. He insists that was ‘just for myself’ and was not trying to make a point to anyone. But he added: ‘You know this goal was for the people who are always next to me.

‘Because we are also humans so we can have bad games, we can have bad days and never ever was (there) a player who played every game of his life well, so there will be days also and games where I am going to play bad.

‘But I think the most important is the reaction so I think I reacted quite well today and hopefully I can keep on going on Sunday against Bournemouth.’

Asked about criticism, the Hungary skipper said: ‘Was there criticism? I didn’t know, I didn’t see but thanks for telling me.’

He later added: ‘As I say, we are also humans, there will be games where we are maybe not at our top level. When we won the league there were also games where we weren’t at the top of our game.

‘But at the end of the day we had the Premier League title in our hands, four games before the end of the season so, yeah, the season is long, we are ready to go and that is all I can say.’

Szoboszlai has played in a number of different positions this season. Andoni Iraola wants his midfield to be made up of one No 6, one No 8 and one No 10. Asked what his preference was, he said: ‘No, I just want to be on the pitch.

‘Maybe I am not at the best in the 6 position because I win one of the 10 duels, maybe next the game I am going to win eight out of 10, so I am then a good 6?

‘So it’s always (about) balance. There will be games where we are not playing at our best as a team, as personally I or somebody else but trust me it is always leaving the past and then the next one, the next one, the reaction is what matters.’