Ben Doak – The Empire of The Kop

‘Special’ Liverpool prospect’s former club told ‘they missed a trick’ by letting him leave

Max Rudd — Fri, 24 Nov 2023 08:05:15 +0000

It’s fair to say that all Reds fans are excited about what the future holds for Jurgen Klopp’s ‘Liverpool 2.0’ side.

The Anfield outfit have started the campaign strongly on all fronts and there are plenty of reasons for optimism on the red half of Merseyside at the moment.

One player in particular who Kopites are seeing a bit more of this season, in cup competitions in particular, is youngster Ben Doak.

The Scotland youth international was signed from Celtic last summer and has impressed on the few occasions he’s been handed a chance by Klopp – and journalist Peter Martin has told the Glasgow-based outfit they made a mistake by letting the teenager go so easily.

“He’s been one of those players that, again, Celtic should have really pushed the boat out,” Martin told PLZ Soccer (via The Boot Room). “They gave him a sniff and then weren’t prepared to actually tie him down.

“I think the boy had options and I think they missed a trick with him because he could have been one of those players that they would have saved buying a Yang for.”

The 18-year-old made a total of five senior appearances across all competitions last term and has already made four outings this season.

He may only be a youngster, but the Scostman plays without any fear and is a real livewire on the right flank.

The Dalry-born talent, who Klopp has previously labelled as ‘special’ (as quoted by Glasgow Live), made a couple of senior appearances for Celtic but couldn’t turn down a move to the Premier League when Liverpool came calling.

There’s plenty more to come from Doak in a red shirt and we look forward to seeing him continue to develop under our German tactician.

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(Video) Ben Doak leaves Toulouse defender for dead with extreme show of pace

Max Rudd — Thu, 09 Nov 2023 18:25:27 +0000

Liverpool currently find themselves 1-0 down against Toulouse in France and are yet to test Guillaume Restes between the sticks.

The only real effort of note for Jurgen Klopp’s side came at 0-0 with Alexis Mac Allister’s powerful effort deflected over the bar after the ball fell to the Argentine in the area following superb work from Ben Doak down the right flank.

The 17-year-old, who is making his third start of the campaign, showed his pace to get on the ball before turning the Toulouse defender inside out as he progressed into the area.

The Scotland youth international then showed composure to play the ball to Cody Gakpo who then found Joe Gomez.

Our No. 2, who is wearing the armband tonight, then delivered a cross which eventually fell to Mac Allister who struck well but was blocked well.

Doak will be eager to impress once again ahead of his 18th birthday on Saturday. He and his teammates have a job on their hands to get themselves back level.

Check his impressive show of skill and pace below courtesy of TNT Sports (via @KeiLFC8 on X).

Ben Doak cooking pic.twitter.com/ZRe0ZsBjdi

— K (@KeiLFC8) November 9, 2023

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(Image) Liverpool starlet back in training ahead of possible first start since injury concern

Peter Kenny Jones — Wed, 08 Nov 2023 14:52:46 +0000

Liverpool have used the Europa League campaign as a way to rotate the squad a little and one man has timed an injury return to perfection, ahead of the next European clash.

Jurgen Klopp confirmed ahead of the Merseyside derby that Ben Doak was injured but we may soon see a return to action for him.

Given the likelihood that the only game time the Scot will be handed being minutes in cup competitions this season, it’s certainly a timely return.

Being an unused substitute against Luton showed that the 17-year-old was close to a full return and we may well see this against Toulouse.

You can view the image of Doak in training via liverpoolfc.com:

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Alongside Robertson: Jurgen Klopp confirms three other Liverpool injury absences for derby clash

Liam Togher — Fri, 20 Oct 2023 13:26:27 +0000

Jurgen Klopp has confirmed numerous Liverpool injury absences for the Merseyside derby against Everton on Saturday.

The big news from Friday afternoon’s press conference was that Andy Robertson will go for surgery on a shoulder injury, which realistically means he won’t play again this side of January, and the Scot isn’t the only Reds player who’ll have to watch on from afar tomorrow.

The LFC manager told reporters today (via Liverpool Echo) that Stefan Bajcetic, Thiago Alcantara and Ben Doak are all confirmed absentees for the game at Anfield, with an update of wait-and-see on Cody Gakpo, who’s trained once with the team in the run-up to the weekend’s fixture.

While Robertson is the only one of the confirmed absentees who, prior to the international break, would’ve been likely to start for Liverpool tomorrow, the others would all have been valuable options to have in reserve for the visit of Everton.

Klopp’s options had already been depleted by the suspension handed down to Curtis Jones, who also misses the Nottingham Forest game next weekend, so to be deprived of two other midfielders in Bajcetic and Thiago is far from ideal.

Their absences are all the more galling in a week where Alexis Mac Allister was playing a World Cup qualifier in Peru at 3am GMT on Wednesday, but luckily the Reds managed to get their South American players back much quicker this time than after September’s international window.

With that in mind, and Klopp coy on whether Gakpo will be able to feature tomorrow, we can expect to see Darwin Nunez leading the line, especially with the Uruguayan buoyed by scoring twice for his country in recent days.

There could well be some inexperienced names among the Liverpool substitutes on Saturday, but we’ve full trust that the manager will find a way to field a starting XI which’ll still be strong enough to maintain our 100% record at home so far this season.

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‘Only a matter of time’ – Charlie Adam believes Liverpool gem is set for major career milestone

Liam Togher — Mon, 16 Oct 2023 18:48:42 +0000

Charlie Adam believes that one Liverpool youngster isn’t far away from being given a senior international debut.

Following Scotland’s qualification for Euro 2024 with two matches to spare, there have been calls for Ben Doak to be included in Steve Clarke’s squad for those games next month, having looked very impressive for his club since the summer.

The former Anfield midfielder believes that the 17-year-old’s cause has been helped by the profile of playing for a club of LFC’s stature and wouldn’t be shocked to see him getting the call-up in November.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live Sport, Adam said of the teenager: “Everybody at Liverpool loves him. He is energetic. He’s direct and it’s only a matter of time before Steve will pick him. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him in the squad. If he wasn’t playing for Liverpool, would he be in the squad?”

It shows just how much Doak has caught the eye that, after just eight senior appearances for Liverpool amounting to just under 200 minutes (Transfermarkt), he’s been talked up as a possible debutant for a Scotland team who were among the first seven nations to qualify for Euro 2024.

Clarke’s side having already secured their place at the finals might give the 60-year-old the luxury of experimentation for the November double header, with a view to seeing if any wildcards can burst through to put their hand up for a seat on the plane to Germany next summer.

Whether he believes the Anfield youngster is ready for a senior debut in a month’s time is another matter, but the 17-year-old hasn’t looked out of place among Jurgen Klopp’s side when he’s featured in recent weeks.

If Doak wins a first senior Scotland cap against either Georgia or Norway, it’d cap a phenomenal 2023 for a gifted young footballer with an incredibly high ceiling.

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Doak reveals the advice he’s receiving from Robertson and Salah with 17 y/o keen to remain ‘grounded’

Max Rudd — Sun, 15 Oct 2023 08:45:11 +0000

Liverpool youngster Ben Doak has revealed the advice he’s been receiving from senior figures at the club such as Andy Robertson and Mo Salah as he continues to bed-in to Jurgen Klopp’s senior squad.

The 17-year-old has made three appearances for the Reds so far this term and has impressed one each occasion with his direct, energetic and pacy style of play.

The former Celtic prospect has admitted that waiting for opportunities with the first team ‘can get frustrating’ but he’s eager to remain grounded and keep putting the work in on the training pitch.

“My family are good,” Doak said (as quoted by The Herald) with his grandad Martin, a former professional at Morton, a big influence. “They bring me right back down to earth. And the older players at Liverpool, like Robbo [Andy Robertson] and Mo Salah, quickly remind me, ‘Listen you’re only 17, you’ve not done anything yet, keep grounded and keep working hard’.

“My first few months when I was in and around it a lot, it was a bit “oh my god, that’s Mo Salah, that’s Andy Robertson. I was starstruck, but I settled in really quickly. They’re all really good. They’re all just normal lads.

“I’ve had a lot of opportunities — much more than last season. I’m really enjoying myself when I get an opportunity but, at the same time, it can get frustrating because I’m not playing as often as I’m used to with the youth teams. I’ve just got to bide my time, but my time is coming. I’ve just got to stay patient. I have a good support group around me and they keep me grounded.”

There’s no doubt that the teenager has a very bright future ahead of him on Merseyside and it’s clear that Klopp is a huge fan of the winger.

The former Borussia Dortmund boss appears eager to give the Scotsman minutes whenever possible but ahead of Doak in the pecking order is Salah – arguably the Premier League’s greatest ever winger.

Our No. 50 will benefit from training alongside the Egyptian King – and our other world-class attacking options – and there’s no need to rush the Scotland U21 international into the side even if he has got bags of potential.

We look forward to seeing him shine when given the chance and it’s great to see he’s being well looked after in the senior squad.

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(Video) Yet another lively performance from Ben Doak as 17 y/o shines for Scotland U21s

Max Rudd — Sun, 15 Oct 2023 06:45:36 +0000

Ben Doak has already made a number of appearances for Liverpool’s first team and a call up for the senior Scotland squad may only be around the corner if he continues to perform excellently.

The 17-year-old started for his nation’s U21 side against Hungary on Friday night and wreaked havoc amongst the opposition defence with his relentless dribbling and direct style of play.

He earned the Tartan Army a penalty in the first half which he calmly dispatched to put them 3-0 up and despite his small frame showcased his ability to hold the ball up and bring his teammates into the game.

Klopp will have been delighted with the teenager’s performance and let’s hope he has plenty more chances to shine in a red shirt this season.

Check out his lively performance below via @LFCTransferRoom on X:

Ben Doak is playing at another level. Look how quick, how smooth, how easy he finds it to take on players.

: @1947production pic.twitter.com/YMLqhmpQqi

— LFC Transfer Room (@LFCTransferRoom) October 14, 2023

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(Video) Ben Doak brought down after outrageous skill; calmly dispatches penalty

Peter Kenny Jones — Sat, 14 Oct 2023 07:17:51 +0000

Ben Doak was handed the start for Scotland Under-21s against Hungary and rewarded manager Billy Stark with another brilliant performance and a key involvement for one goal in the game.

After a great start from the young Scots, the 17-year-old was found on the right wing where he proceeded to drive into the opposition box and skip past one defender.

With another rushing in on him, the former Celtic teenager then dropped his shoulder again before being hacked down inside the box for a stone wall penalty.

Taking the responsibility himself, our No.50 rolled the ball into the bottom left corner and sent the goalkeeper the wrong way whilst he did so.

You can watch the foul on Doak (from 41:33) and his goal (from 42:45) via Scotland National Team on YouTube:

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‘Could actually go and do it…’ – Journo makes bold prediction regarding Ben Doak at Liverpool

Liam Togher — Sat, 30 Sep 2023 06:43:55 +0000

Dean Jones has made a confident prediction regarding Ben Doak at Liverpool.

The 17-year-old has already forged his way into Jurgen Klopp’s first-team squad at Anfield, starting two matches over the past fortnight and being one of the stars of pre-season for the Reds.

The Scottish teenager is currently the natural right-sided understudy to Mo Salah in LFC’s attack and will hope to one day step into the void whenever the Egyptian departs – something which could’ve happened already considering the strong interest in him from Saudi Arabia.

Jones believes that Liverpool mightn’t need to spend big on bringing in a replacement for the 31-year-old when he leaves, as they could already have one in Doak.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the journalist said: “To understand for themselves whether they’re going to need to into the market and sign a premium attacker or if they already have one here at their fingertips… I think that honestly, he [Doak] could actually go and do it, especially as Liverpool do already have a cast of forwards that they could lean on to rotate with him.

“I know that there aren’t necessarily obvious candidates to be Mohamed Salah, but even Dominik Szoboszlai can go out onto the right side if needed. I think Doak should be made to feel like he can have a bigger role at Liverpool once Salah goes.”

It’s quite the backing by Jones to suggest that the 17-year-old is capable of stepping up to be Salah’s long-term successor at Liverpool.

Players come and go in football, but few will be harder to replace than the Egyptian, who’s blasted his way into the top five all-time leading goalscorers in Anfield history and displayed an incredible consistency which has seen him net at least 23 goals in each of his six full season at the club (Transfermarkt).

He’s currently on a 13-match sequence in which he’s either scored himself or provided an assist, proving to be one of the most reliable attackers in the world.

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However, it’s a testament to how well Doak has performed in his embryonic career that he’s been backed to fill the Salah void when the time comes to do so. The young Scot has shown vast confidence in his first-team outings thus far, displaying an ability to take on opponents and leave them for dead with his searing pace.

If he does prove capable of stepping up to become a first-team stalwart at Anfield, he could save Liverpool millions in the transfer market.

It’s asking quite a lot of him to be the Egyptian’s long-term successor, and we don’t want to burden him with such a mammoth challenge too early, but that he’s even been regarded in that conversation shows the scale of the potential within the teenager’s locker.

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(Video) New angle shows Doak was robbed of winning Liverpool penalty against Leicester

Peter Kenny Jones — Fri, 29 Sep 2023 07:21:56 +0000

Ben Doak was handed his first Anfield start against Leicester City in the cup and he was certainly involved in the game with his performance seemingly being robbed of seeing him being awarded a penalty.

As the young Scot drove into the opposition box, it appeared during the game that he was taken off his feet by James Justin and replays of new angles have only confirmed this opinion.

The standing foot of the 17-year-old seemed to swept from under him and it’s quite unbelievable that there wasn’t a penalty handed to the Reds but with no VAR there was no opportunity for a second look.

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There will be plenty more opportunities for the former Celtic man to impress our supporters though and it feels as though his first senior goal is not very far away.

You can watch the footage of the possible Doak penalty (from 7:43) via Liverpool FC on YouTube:

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(Video) Awkward moment Ben Doak discovers he doesn’t have a mascot for cup tie

Peter Kenny Jones — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 20:58:27 +0000

Ben Doak was handed his first start at Anfield for Liverpool but as he prepared to step out of the tunnel for the match, he was met with a large amount of pre-match confusion.

The teenager was stood next to Harvey Elliott when it seemed that he lost his own mascot to his teammate and was then left looking around for someone to walk onto the pitch with.

It seemed that the liaison from the club thought there should be another child with the team but they clearly weren’t there and Jurgen Klopp had to hurry his young winger to catch up with the rest of the squad.

Whether a mascot had gone AWOL or the former Celtic man wasn’t supposed to have one, we’ll likely never know but it didn’t look to be the ideal preparation for your full Anfield debut!

You can watch the footage of Doak and the missing mascot (from 5:49) via Liverpool FC on YouTube:

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(Images) What Klopp did with Ben Doak at full-time against Leicester City

Peter Kenny Jones — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 19:33:48 +0000

Ben Doak was handed his second start for Liverpool this season when he was part of the line-up for the Carabao Cup and it was clear that Jurgen Klopp had a message for the youngster after the full-time whistle.

For the 65 minutes of the game that the 17-year-old was on the pitch, he proved to be a constant threat on the right-wing and his unfaltering desire to beat a man is hugely exciting to watch.

Speaking after the game, his manager said: “you cannot watch him without smiling” and it was clear that the German wanted to share more messages with his teenage star after full-time but whilst the pair were still on the pitch.

Cameras present captured the boss in deep conversation with the Scot and it’s sure that whatever he was saying to the former Celtic man was from the heart, as he spoke with so much passion.

You can view the images of Doak and Klopp courtesy of OneFootball:

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What Harvey Elliott did before kick-off last night hints at new-found role within Liverpool squad

Liam Togher — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 15:45:23 +0000

Harvey Elliott appears to be taking on a newly-found role within the Liverpool first-team squad, judging by one moment prior to kick-off in Wednesday night’s win over Leicester.

In a post-match piece for the Liverpool Echo, Paul Gorst noticed the 20-year-old approaching Ben Doak and giving the teenager a brief pep talk just before the match started, on what was the latter’s first senior start at Anfield.

The article outlined: “The midfielder, now 20, made a beeline for his less experienced colleague while the crowd were going through a rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone to offer some last-minute morsels of advice to Doak.

“There was a cuff around the head, a hug and a few words that will no doubt have helped Doak ahead of one of the biggest nights of his fledgling career to date.

“Elliott has spoken lately of taking on more responsibility in what is now a younger, new-look squad and his gentle encouragement to Doak just before the game got going is evidence of the quiet way the midfielder is choosing to step up alongside his more established colleagues.”

Doak was making his first Anfield start – and only his second for Liverpool – last night (Transfermarkt), so even someone who looks as fearless and mature as he does for his age have surely appreciated the pre-game pep talk from Elliott.

It also speaks to the ex-Fulham midfielder’s evolving role within Jurgen Klopp’s squad that, despite still being a young player himself having only turned 20 in April, he’s now taken to imparting advice to less experienced teammates and helping them through games.

The Reds’ number 19 is in the early stages of his own career but has already made more than a century of senior appearances at club level (Transfermarkt), including 73 for LFC during a period where they’ve had their strongest group of players since the 1980s.

Elliott’s manager will surely be delighted to see him maturing to such a degree and assuming greater responsibility in offering guidance to fledging talents like Doak. It’s a situation with which the 20-year-old could empathise from his own breakthrough at Liverpool in the not-too-distant past.

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(Video) Ben Doak’s bemused reaction to Cody Gakpo’s leveller will have Liverpool fans creasing

Max Rudd — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 10:15:46 +0000

Cody Gakpo dragged Liverpool level last night against Leicester with a tidy finish inside the area.

Had the Dutchman not found the back of the net questions would’ve been asked as to why he didn’t lay the ball off to Ben Doak who looked to be in a better position.

The former PSV man instead placed the ball cooly into the bottom corner of the net before goals from Dominik Szoboszlai and Diogo Jota sent the Reds through to the next round.

When watching our No. 18’s goal back, however, X user @mcfclurozzz uploaded a clip of Doak’s reaction and it’s bemusing to say the least.

The Scotsman appears somewhat annoyed that he didn’t receive the ball but then takes a few seconds and produces a delayed celebration once Gakpo finds the back of the net.

The former Celtic youngster threw in another lively and energetic performance on the right wing and was unlucky not to get himself on the scoresheet after rattling the bar in the first half.

This season can be a successful one for the 17-year-old if he continues to work hard and prove he’s ready for the first team.

Check Doak’s reaction to our leveller below:

pic.twitter.com/xBceNncF6V

— 𝑳𝑬 (@mcfclurozzz) September 27, 2023

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‘So exciting…’ – Jurgen Klopp says one Liverpool player invariably brings a smile to his face

Liam Togher — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 06:26:08 +0000

Jurgen Klopp has named one Liverpool player who invariably brings a smile to his face when watching him on the football pitch.

The manager handed a second start of the season to Ben Doak in Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup win over Leicester, with the 17-year-old impressing yet again prior to his 65th-minute withdrawal.

The German was speaking to reporters after the match as he namechecked a few Reds players for praise, including the young Scot, of whom he said (via Liverpool World): “Ben, so exciting, you cannot watch him without smiling, to be honest. It’s really, really nice to see.”

Doak enjoyed another reputation-boosting performance last night, as reflected in match statistics from Sofascore.

The Liverpool attacker misplaced only one pass throughout his time on the pitch and recorded two key passes and three shots (one of which was on target), unlucky not to score when one effort came thundering off the woodwork.

He also had a legitimate penalty claim turned down in the opening 10 minutes after a stern challenge from James Justin inside the Leicester box, but the appeals were waved away by Tim Robinson, much to the disbelief of the young Scot and most of the crowd at Anfield.

You can be sure that Klopp isn’t alone in having a broad smile across his face when it comes to watching the gifted Doak in action for the Reds. This boy is going places!

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