Ex-Celtic teen on target in pre-season friendly against La Liga side
Ben Doak has handed Scotland head coach Steve Clarke a timely boost by netting for Liverpool in a dazzing pre-season display against Athletic Bilbao.
The 19-year-old winger is fit again after injury and was handed a start in the first of two friendlies which were staged back-to-back at Anfield on Monday night against the Spanish side.
The opening match, featuring a mix of first-team stars and youngsters, saw the Reds claim a 4-1 victory with Doak on the scoresheet and also having a major hand in another goal. The second match also saw the hosts emerge victorious 3-2 thanks to Mo Salah and a Cody Gakpo double.
Ben Doak celebrates scoring for Liverpool in the friendly win over Athletic Bilbao at Anfield. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)placeholder image
Ben Doak celebrates scoring for Liverpool in the friendly win over Athletic Bilbao at Anfield. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In match one, Liverpool went two goals up inside five minutes as another emerging talent - 16-year-old England youth Rio Ngumoha - opened the scoring before Doak provided the cross for Ngumoha to nod down for Darwin Nunez to add a second.
Doak twice went close to adding a third, being denied by the woodwork from a tight angle before a sensational half-volley from 25 yards drew a diving save from Bilbao goalkeeper Alex Padilla.
But the former Celtic youth got his goal three minutes before half-time as he burst past his marker in the box before firing an effort across goal which Padilla only succeeded in diverting into the net when it appeared to be going wide.
Doak was then replaced on 56 minutes before Harvey Elliot added a fourth but his eye-catching performance bodes well for Clarke and Scotland ahead of next month's World Cup qualifiers away to Denmark and Belarus.
The teenager has impressed for Scotland since being handed the first of his six caps in September last year and was sorely missed in the Nations League play-off loss to Greece in March as well as the defeat to Iceland in June.
He spent last season on loan at Middlesbrough in the Championship where he had a big impact with three goals and seven assists in 24 appearances prior to suffering a thigh injury in February which ended his season prematurely and ruled him out of the last two Scotland camps.
Doak will now be raring to go for the upcoming internationals but where he is playing his club football by the time the crucial fixtures come around remains to be seen.
According to respected Liverpool FC journalist David Lynch, the Scot is the subject of serious transfer interest this summer with West Ham and Wolves among the clubs keen.
Posting on X, Lynch wrote: “Liverpool rejected £20m offers from both Ipswich and Crystal Palace in January and the winger is the subject of similar attention in this window.”