With a location at Euro 2024 all but secured, the mood all-around the Scotland countrywide team is at this time as brilliant as the unseasonal September sunshine.
Nonetheless a stunning show reel from the southern Spanish town of Jaen on Monday evening recommended the foreseeable future could be even a lot more dazzling.
At just 17 a long time of age, Ben Doak was the undisputed star of the show at the Estadio de la Victoria as Scotland Below-21s lost narrowly 1- in a Euro qualifier.
In his very first aggressive begin at the degree, the Liverpool kid’s trickery, pace and inventiveness have been hailed by head mentor Scot Gemmill as ‘exceptional’.
For Doak, the overall performance was the just the hottest staging put up on a thrilling footballing journey that seems like it could get him any place he wants to go.
Ben Doak was the undisputed star as the Scotland U21s narrowly shed 1- to Spain on Monday
He will have high hopes of making Steve Clarke’s squad for Euro 2024, should Scotland qualify
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And, after currently being named in Liverpool’s Europa League squad for their approaching team campaign, visits to facial area LASK Linz, Union Saint-Gilloise and Toulouse could enjoy a important purpose in guiding Doak to a different continental destination — the Euro 2024 finals in Germany with Steve Clarke’s Scotland.
Back again in January 2022, a Celtic debut arrived aged 16 decades, two months and 19 days, with his Outdated Firm bow arriving a month later.
Right after heading for Liverpool in a £600,000 offer, a intention 7 minutes into his Scotland Less than-21 debut off the bench versus Northern Ireland very last November designed him the youngster-at any time scorer at that amount.
It broke a document held by Billy Gilmour, whose swift progress into the total national crew Doak will now be hoping to emulate.
At Anfield, Doak impressed for the Below-18s and Less than-21s right before staying handed a very first-group debut previous November released for the closing 16 minutes of a Carabao Cup get on penalties about Derby County, two days in advance of his 17th birthday.
Four further more appearances for the very first workforce off the bench ensued previous period two in the English Leading League and two in the FA Cup.
Jurgen Klopp has explained Doak, who joined Liverpool from Celtic in 2022, as a ‘special boy’
The Liverpool teen attracts comparison to fellow Scotland starlet Billy Gilmour (pictured)
Doak also excelled in pre-year against Leicester Metropolis and Bayern Munich, and manager Jurgen Klopp is evidently a large admirer of his up-and-coming Scottish attacker.
‘Ben’s a unique boy, really self-confident,’ mentioned the German boss earlier this 12 months. ‘He has anything nobody else provides genuinely, this type of dribbling, this sort of straight-forward bravery. All these type of points.’
There are certainly distinct parallels involving Doak and Gilmour, who also possessed a expertise that swiftly meant Scottish football was not able to retain him as he still left Rangers for Chelsea in 2017.
At Stamford Bridge, on the other hand, Gilmour also delivered an instance of how difficult it can be to develop into recognized in the upper reaches of the English Premier League, albeit he is now actively playing on a regular basis for Brighton and Scotland.
Dalry native Doak has performed just 13 minutes of soccer for Liverpool this year, coming off the bench in a 1-1 attract with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. And even though hailing his teenage expertise on Monday evening, Gemmill admitted Doak was not match healthy owing to restricted minutes with his club facet.
Doak training hard alongside Liverpool star Mohamed Salah forward of the international break
Still the hope is the younger Scot could be a beneficiary of Liverpool’s failure to secure Champions League football by ending fifth previous year. Rather of struggling with the continent’s elite forces, the Anfield aspect are in the Europa League in Team E along with Austrian aspect LASK, Union Saint-Gilloise of Belgium and French outfit Toulouse.
They may not represent the most glamorous of opposition but presented Klopp’s faith in Doak, the tournament represents the perfect phase for the teen to glow.
Because of to the character of his generational talent, Doak stepping up to the complete Scotland national group 1 working day is an inevitability. But, just after dazzling for Scotland Beneath-21s and catching the eye off the bench for Liverpool, the hope among the Tartan Military above the coming months is that this vastly thrilling attacker, who turns 18 in November, can get the upcoming step in his vocation.
By building his mark in Europe with Liverpool more than the coming months, Doak can ebook his spot in Steve Clarke’s Scotland squad for Euro 2024.