Despite being only 16 years old, the fast-footed Ben Doak moved to Liverpool from Celtic because of his talent. Under Jurgen Klopp, he gained first-team experience, making ten appearances throughout the Premier League and Europa League.
After Arne Slot took over as manager, he was part of the pre-season squad, but failed to make the first team squad and was loaned out to Championship side Middlesbrough. He has been a regular starter at the club, scoring one goal and assisting three in ten games.
Tommy Conway, a 22-year-old striker who also plays for Middlesbrough and is a Scotland international, is a great admirer of the way the winger, who is three years younger than him, is playing.
He expressed his own hopes that he will continue to play well in the Championship and that when he returns to Liverpool he will be a first-team player.
“I’ve put my arm around Doakie and looked after him a bit. But he has taken to it here at Boro like a duck to water,”
“I can’t say enough about him. He’s like what he is on the pitch off it as well – he’s electric. The boy’s always at it. Hopefully we can both take that on to the international stage and cause carnage there.”
“When Doakie is dribbling with the ball, going at someone, you just know something’s going to happen. And as a striker myself, that’s what I want. He’s going to chuck in a stepover, get to the byline and put in a cross, which is great for me.”
“He can do that for Scotland as well. You saw it in the last camp. I watched the Croatia game where he gave Josko Gvardio a hard time. When Doakie came back, he joked that he had him in his pocket. That sums him up.”
“His pace and skill is there for everyone to see. He’s still a young boy with so much to learn but he has never lacked confidence. He thinks he should start every game for Scotland. As a footballer, you have to think like that.”
“He started against Croatia and Portugal and was buzzing because they’re top sides. That will definitely stand him in good stead. You can tell Doakie has been around a first-team environment for a long time. He knows how to handle himself in a changing room, which can be hard at times.”
“He’ll go back to Liverpool thinking he should start and that’s credit to his character. When you have that mentality it’s going to happen. When he eventually goes back there I expect him to get in the team.”
Daily Record