If a recent report from the Daily Record is believed to be true, Celtic might lose young academy prodigy Ben Doak amid transfer interest from Liverpool. The Hoops U18 star is rated highly back in his homeland and the Reds, known for their esteemed scouting network, have identified him as one of the key targets to bolster their youth set-up.
The 16-year-old Scotland U17 international scored on his debut against Wales U17s in a friendly fixture. He has represented his nation in the latest UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualifiers and the emergence in recent months has grabbed the attention of the English giants.
Doak, meanwhile, is not eligible yet to pen a professional contract and Liverpool are taking advantage of this situation similar to the Kaide Gordon, Mateusz Musiałowski and Harvey Elliott deals. The Merseysiders must pay a minuscule development fee as training compensation, but the Celts would lose one of their prized assets who holds all the traits to make significant strides in the forthcoming future.
Despite being a right fullback, the versatile youngster is known for his attacking expertise and marauding runs. He has often been deployed down the wing and his blistering pace and creative spark earned a lot of praise of late. In 2018, Doak was voted Player of the Tournament at the 2005 Actavo Cup [Celtic FC Academy] and the ceiling is quite high for the starlet if he keeps on flourishing at various youth levels.
The Celtic Starlet Must Make The Call
Although the Hoops have not given up yet on tying him down to a long-term contract, it’s indeed difficult for the player to ignore a club of Liverpool’s stature. Jurgen Klopp has promoted many academy sensations so far in his tenure and the Celtic prospect might eventually succeed 18-year-old Conor Bradley who has already been handed first-team experience in Cup fixtures.
Doak is already knocking the first-team door under Ange Postecoglou as he made it among the substitutes in their 3-1 win against St Johnstone on Boxing Day. The Bhoys are currently well-equipped on the right with Josip Juranovic and Anthony Ralston challenging and covering each other for the starting role, however, the situation might change in a year or two if he continues to impress the manager.
His attributes tick the boxes of a modern-day fullback and his current employers would hand him a quicker exposure to the senior surroundings compared to Liverpool. It remains to be seen now whether the teenager decides to stay put and continues to develop at his boyhood club.
