Winger has returned from four month injury lay-off and while it's come to soon for the Scotland squad to face Japan and Ivory Coast Christie reckons Doak can be a huge hit at the World Cup.
06:00, 22 Mar 2026
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He reckons Ben Gannon-Doak is GOLD for Bournemouth.
And Ryan Christie has no doubt the winger has the minerals to dazzle on the biggest stage of all when Scotland head to the World Cup in the summer.
Gannon-Doak suffered heartache when injury robbed him of his place at Euro 2024.
Another hamstring problem has seen the 20-year-old sidelined since the dramatic night Scotland sealed their spot in North America by beating Denmark at Hampden.
But the former Liverpool and Celtic kid returned to the Cherries squad in the past week and was a late sub in Friday's 2-2 draw with Manchester United.
It’s come too soon for a spot in Steve Clarke’s Scotland squad for next week’s friendly double header with Japan and Ivory Coast.
But Christie - who netted the first goal against United - reckons his Bournemouth mate has the X factor needed for the big stage and will use his Euros pain to make sure he’s in the squad heading across the Atlantic in June.
He said: “Ben looks really sharp. It’s brilliant to have him back, he’s absolute gold to be honest.
“It’s great to have another Scotsman down the road.
“Ben was amazing right through the qualifying campaign.
“He is such a young player but he has started to settle into the role and be a difference maker in games which is what we need.
“We produce a lot of centre mids but we don’t produce many Ben Doaks!
“He is an outlet ball, someone who can get the team up the pitch.
“The way he takes people on so naturally is always exciting. Especially when we are at Hampden you can see the crowd moving to the edge of their seats whenever he gets the ball.
“They are the kind of players you need. The ones who can take people on, win you corners, even just get the fans onside.
“He has been brilliant since he came into the squad, was obviously gutted when he missed the Euros last time out so will be keen to make his mark this time.”
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(Image: (photo by Donald Cameron / Sportpix / Sipa USA))
There’s just 12 weeks until Scotland mark their return to the biggest stage in world football against Haiti in Boston.
And Christie admits he’ll have to look out the bingo balls to decide who lands his gold dust complimentaries.
But the 64-times capped star reckons the lottery that is the Scottish Premiership title race can help ensure Scotland are just the ticket when the fun and games start for real.
With his old club Celtic, Rangers and leaders Hearts involved in a frantic scrap, stars including Kieran Tierney, John Souttar and Lawrence Shankland will be playing on the edge right up to the end of the season.
At Bournemouth he and Gannon-Doak are in the fight for a historic first ever European spot too.
And he said: “I’m sure that the gaffer's message will be the same even after this camp - as well as you can do for your club between now and the end of the season will only benefit us going into the summer.
“The Scottish league's properly heated up now.
“It's amazing to watch it being outside of it.
“I’ll be honest, it’d be a different story if I was in there!
“It's good. All the boys now that are playing across Europe and playing European football and stuff like that, like Lewis Ferguson on Thursday night and John McGinn as well.
“Everyone with our clubs going right down to the wire in major tournaments is cool.
“It is hard not to keep thinking about the World Cup.. you don’t really want to be thinking about it in case you jinx yourself.
“But I am looking forward to seeing all the boys this week and getting a bit excited for the finals.
“I think I have half of Inverness going over!
“It will be the bingo balls for who gets tickets from me.”
Christie’s only knowledge of Scotland at a World Cup has come through watching documentaries and internet clips.
Now he wants to create more magic moments for generations to come.
He said: “I was three at the last one so I don’t remember anything. But the older generations talk to you about it and I have watched the documentaries and clips.
“When you actually watch the games back, Scotland scoring goals at major tournaments is always cool.
“You see them and it is history being made.
“It felt like that against Denmark and our job now is to go and do something like that in the summer.”
Meanwhile, Christie says he warned Bournemouth buddy Julian Aroujo about Scottish fans - only for his message to fall on deaf ears.
Celtic loanee Araujo has become a Hoops hero in just a couple of months with his full-blooded displays.
The Mexican was mobbed after netting an injury time winner at Kilmarnock and got caught up in the mayhem after the Scottish Cup win over Rangers at Ibrox.
According to Christie, the 24-year-old has the perfect character to handle to Old Firm heat.
But it hasn’t stopped him getting a shock at the intensity of the Scottish fans.
Araujo was back at his parent club on the south coast of England last week after picking up a knock that saw him miss last week’s win over Motherwell.
And, asked of he played his part selling the loan switch to Parkhead, Christie revealed: “I did. He was actually down in Bournemouth a couple of days ago.
“It's funny speaking to him about it. Very, very funny.
“I tried to warn him before he went up, I said, ‘the fans are a different level up there - get ready for that’.
“And the first thing he said is, ‘why didn't you warn me?!’ But I did!
“He's loved it. He's absolutely loved it to be fair.
“He’s picked up a wee knock but I think he's desperate to get fit again as soon as he can and back playing.
“He's loved Glasgow. He's a good laugh. He's a good fit. I think he's got a big enough personality to go and deal with the Old Firm.”
Christie could face another Celtic star when Japan arrive at Hampden on Saturday with Daizen Maeda looking to give his World Cup hopes a shot in the arm by scoring against the Scots.
But it’s another member of the Samarai Blue who Christie fears - Brighton’s Karou Mitoma who has netted five goals against Bournemouth in six outings.
Christie said: “I’m hoping that doesn't translate into Japan against Scotland.
“He's obviously an unbelievable player. Every time I've played against him, I've thought he's got the ability to probably play above Brighton and even be in the top six.
“I think Japan's squad now, when you look at it, it's like there's top-level players all over.
“A real kind of rising nation in the football aspect that are only going to keep getting better.”
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* Ryan Christie returned to Inverness on Saturday to officially open a new community football complex, the £1.6-million Inverness Caledonian Thistle Community Hub. The Scottish FA's Pitching In fund provided over £400,000 of the funding to get the new facility off the ground