With all the talk of Liverpool’s current squad successes so far this season, some may have forgotten the talent of Ben Doak.
The Scotsman is currently on loan at Middlesbrough and enjoying a fantastic campaign, as he has brought his relentless energy to Michael Carrick’s side who sit seventh in the Championship. Doak currently has one goal and three assists in 10 games but his overall play has caught the eye.Carrick said that he has a real ‘enthusiasm’ for playing and has been impressed by is early-season for. “You see it in the energy and the willingness to keep trying things. It’s a real joy to see, and quite refreshing, really. He’s dangerous, and today, for the first goal, he delivered a great move and a great bit of play. I’m delighted that he got rewarded for all his good work.”
Those comments came after the 4-1 away win over QPR, a game in which Doak started and managed an assist. That was followed up with a 5-1 win over Luton Town where Doak collected another two assists.While goal contributions are the currency of an attacker in the stats-based world we currently live in, Doak’s overall quality has been apparent. Specifically, his dribbling. His current form has seen him rank joint-third in Europe’s top five leagues for carries into the penalty area.
That’s more than Mohamed Salah and Kylian Mbappe who sit joint-fourth with 36. Doak (39) is joint with Viktor Gyokeres and only bettered by Bradley Barcola (40) and Vinicius Junior (44) which shows the company he’s in.
At 19, he is being viewed as a future star for Liverpool. It wasn’t long ago he penned a long-term deal to keep him at Anfield for the foreseeable future. With Salah being the player in his role, his route to the first-team is blocked. Plus, the signing of Federico Chiesa has complicated matters such as this even further.
The hope is he can continue his strong form and then earn another loan, or two, at a higher level to ensure he is ready to step into the first team when he is ready. Or, as is the reality of being in the squad of a top club, he may have seek another team to fulfil his top-level playing aspirations. But, for now, he’s enjoying life in the Championship.
