View: Liverpool youth star Ben Doak must kick on after Scotland bow
Liverpool forward Ben Doak must capitalise on the momentum of his senior Scotland debut and force himself into Arne Slot’s plans next season.
The 18-year-old made his international debut for the Scotland senior side in a 19 minute cameo in the 3-2 loss to Poland in the UEFA Nations League clash on Thursday (5 September)
Doak secured a season-long loan move to Championship outfit Middlesbrough on deadline day [BBC Sport, 30 August] in search of regular first-team football this season and the chance to impress Slot in the second tier.
Ben Doak needs to fight for his Liverpool future this season
It was a tough campaign for Doak last time out, a long-term injury stunted his development and forced the winger to withdraw from the Scotland Euro 2024 squad.
Liverpool supporters will be relieved the club saw sense in sanctioning a loan move to a top Championship side rather than a reported permanent sale to either Leicester City or Southampton [Dave OCKOP].
Doak has a bright future at the Reds, he debuted at 16 against Derby County in the Carabao Cup in 2022 and was a standout performer in the 0-0 draw.
Following the arrival of Federico Chiesa from Juventus, playing time under Slot would have been limited for Doak this year, and, a move to Middlesbrough provides the perfect platform to accelerate his development after a year on the sidelines.
Given that sporting director Richard Hughes oversaw a summer exodus of the academy talent at the AXA Training Centre this summer, it speaks volumes to how highly the Reds rate the Scottish winger hence why they chose to prioritise his progress with an eye on integrating him into the first team next season.
With his first senior international cap under his belt, Doak has to get his head down and perform in the Championship and for the national side this year. All six of the Reds attackers are not nailed to remain at the club from next season onwards and a spot to impress Slot for the 2025/26 season could be on the cards for Doak.
In other Liverpool news, Arne Slot must axe Andy Robertson after what he did against Manchester United.
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