Ben Doak has been given a top billing for success at Liverpool after his impact when given first-team chances.
The teenager left Celtic for Merseyside earlier this year and has quickly risen to become one of Jurgen Klopp's most talented youngsters. He created an assist against AC Milan in a friendly recently, coming after he made his competitive debut in the Carabao Cup versus Derby. Liverpool return to that competition against Manchester City on Thursday and another opportunity may beckon with some stars still on their way back from World Cup excursions.
A training session ahead of it has left assistant Pepijn Lijnders amazed by Doak and while other youngsters have left him impressed, it's the Celtic academy graduate and Scotland U21s international who earns lengthy praise. He explained: "Yesterday I walked off the pitch, we trained, the session was insane – really cool. And I walk off the pitch with Jurgen and he does a whisper and he just says next to me, 'Wow, Stefan and Bobby Clark, they play so mature. They play as (if) they are 25.' And I say immediately, 'Ben Doak, can you imagine (if) he was a signing? If (he) would do this, what he is doing in this session?'
"You all see, he's very quick, but if you are very quick and technical, that makes a really dangerous player and he learns as really quick. That's really nice to see because sometimes you can be really quick [and] really good with your feet but if you don't learn (with the) team...
"What I just said, you need good players, but the collective in the end makes you successful so that has to work. But he adapts really quickly to our style and we are just really happy with (the) three young signings.
"Then I have to make a compliment to Matt Newbury because he is our Academy scout and he brings these players in. Nobody hears about them before and it's not announced as a big signing like everybody (else).
"But the boys he brings in, it's not easy because the boy leaves Celtic, goes to a different part (of the world), Liverpool. Or Stefan, who goes from Celta Vigo to here, they leave their country and leave their family.
"They come really young in our Academy, so for the next ones to come hopefully that helps as well that we want to give these boys chances and Ben is just... I like that combination of speed, mentality and technique (and) he has all three."
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