Meet hottest January transfer target Ben Doak, 19, who embarrassed one of Premier League’s most expensive defenders
BEN DOAK is the kid Premier League clubs want to sign – and the one no left-back wants to face.
The Scottish winger, 19, has been tearing up the Championship since joining Middlesbrough on a season-long loan from Liverpool.
Though it is not only second-tier full-backs he has been leaving bamboozled and confused.
Doak’s direct style is a throwback to the wing wonders of yesteryear, and it has caused problems for some of the biggest names on the international stage.
His raw pace and direct dribbling style proved to be a real nuisance for Portugal’s Joao Cancelo – but it was two displays for Scotland against Josko Gvardiol that really caught the eye.
Especially when Manchester City’s £77million full-back was left in a daze as Croatia lost 1-0 at Hampden in November.
Time and again Doak switched to turbo-charge, leaving Gvardiol spinning and chasing shadows, as he darted past him while the Tartan Army chased their late goal.
After that night of being chief tormentor and a month that had seen him share the pitch with legendary names like Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric, the teen provided an insight into his mindset.
Doak said: “I don’t see faces on the park, I just see a kit and a blank face.
“I don’t take notice of reputations. I just believe that if I’m good enough to be on the pitch then I should be up to whoever I’m against.”
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Before looking at who wants him now, let’s rewind a decade to when a nine-year-old Doak scored NINE goals in two seven-a-side matches for Ayr United’s U11s against Hamilton Academicals.
Celtic talent spotter Jim Began was watching on that day, and it was not long before he was part of the academy at the Scottish giants.
Fast-forward a few years and a future Premier League manager had no hesitations throwing him in at the deep end.
Just weeks after his 16th birthday, Ange Postecoglou handed him a debut at Celtic, whom he had joined as a schoolboy following his time at Ayr United, in January 2022.
Another outing off the bench followed in the Scottish Premiership but soon things turned sour at Parkhead after it emerged he had agreed to join Liverpool that summer with Celtic receiving just £600,000 compensation. He’s now said to be worth over 40 times that amount.
It did not take long for him to start making his mark at Anfield.
Doak became the sixth youngest player to appear for the Reds when coming off the bench against Derby in the Carabao Cup and followed that up by signing his first pro contract five days later when he turned 17.
Disaster strikes
He went on to make nine more outings and was getting Europa League experience under Jurgen Klopp last term until disaster struck.
His campaign came to an abrupt end when he was forced to undergo knee surgery in December.
Doak battled back but both he and Liverpool, who knew they could potentially be looking for someone to take over from Mo Salah on the right this summer, agreed he now needed regular action.
He had almost the entire Championship and a handful of Premier League teams to take his pick from, but eventually he chose Michael Carrick’s Middlesbrough.
And it is a decision that both have benefitted from greatly – although it’s a relationship that might not be lasting much longer.
Doak has been instrumental in fifth-place Boro’s promotion push, scoring his first two professional goals and providing six assists, and his impact even surprised Carrick.
Back in November, the Riverside boss said: “It’s everything you want. In terms of the level (he’s reached), it’s very difficult to envision something happening so quickly.
“There’s no getting away from it, Ben’s having a really good time of it at the moment. He’s playing some good football and looking dangerous.
“The opportunity for him to come here and play and be part of the squad – he’s obviously confident. We know his strengths, it’s pretty obvious what he’s good at and he’s taken that on to Scotland as well.”
Carrick continued: “He’s a different threat to most. He’s quite direct and not so much loads of tricks and skills, but he’s got that attribute to be low with his centre of gravity, he’s direct and gets in that position an awful lot.”
Of course, there are still things to improve on, and one of those will certainly be his finishing, especially in one-on-one scenarios. He could have at least five goals for Boro.
But all the ingredients are there for something special if he can improve that output, and that has led to Carrick’s worst nightmare – a horde of Premier League teams trying to sign the star this month.
I don’t take notice of reputations. I just believe that if I’m good enough to be on the pitch then I should be up to whoever I’m against
Ben Doak
Liverpool, who have a recall clause, last week rejected offers from Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town for £15m.
Brentford and Leicester are also in the hunt for the livewire and there is mounting talk that an offer of £25m could be enough to tempt the Reds into selling.
Doak looked undeterred by all of the talk as he produced his latest assist on Saturday, teeing up Emmanuel Latte Lath in the 1-1 draw with Cardiff.
Afterwards, Boro team-mate Dan Barlaser said: “It’s massive [to keep our best players]. We want to keep all our best players and bring some help in.
“Ben has been unbelievable, especially for the age he’s at.”
And even though he has no control over it, Carrick is also refusing to panic.
BHOY WONDER
By Philip Martin (Scottish Sun Sports Editor)
WATCHING Ben Doak’s career take off is thrilling for Scotland fans – but bittersweet for Celtic supporters.
The Tartan Army is already dreaming of where the wonderkid can take the nation in years to come after some scintillating glimpses of his enormous potential.
He truly announced himself as the next big thing in Scottish football the November night he tore £77million Man City defender Josko Gvardiol to shreds as Scotland beat Croatia 1-0 at Hampden.
He’s also played a starring role on loan at Middlesborough as they chase Premier League promotion.
But he could make a quick-fire return to the top flight with clubs queing up to sign him and Liverpool looking for around £30m.
That would make him the most expensive Scot of all time and give Tartan Army fans the prospect of watching a player with genuine stardust quality for years to come.
But it’s a different story for Celtic supporters who watched him leave for a paltry development fee after just two short sub appearances in the Premiership.
They had hoped to see him lift trophies at Parkhead and star in the Champions League in the hoops before leaving for a bumper transfer profit.
Instead they need to watch from afar as a player who came through the youth system prepares to light up the biggest league in the world.
He said: “Loans are loans, that’s how it is. In terms of the situation, it’s exactly where we are. He (Doak) played, looked dangerous and created a goal. It is what it is. Nothing has changed from our point of view. I’m pretty calm about it.
“He played well in spells and looked really dangerous. I have no worries about that. January can throw up different things.
“Sometimes you can keep players and sometimes you can lose players or teams come in for your players, that’s just how it is.
“Everyone is important but we knew the situation when we got into it.”
For now, the level-headed Doak will just be concentrating on his game and will likely have the exact same mindset he had before Christmas when he said: “I just love playing football.
“I had a tough period out with injury. So you can imagine how frustrating that was. To be back playing is great.”
And the biggest decision facing Liverpool is whether to take the money or hang on to him to see whether he can be moulded to eventually take over from their talisman Mo Salah.
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