Ben Doak – Scotland’s Bullish Dynamo By @FootballReprt
Full name: Ben Gannon Doak
Country: Scotland
Date of birth: 11/11/2005 (16 years old)
Place of birth: Irvine (Scotland)
Height: —
Youth career: Dalry Rovers FC, Ayr United FC, Celtic FC, Liverpool (since 2022)
Current club: Liverpool
Squad number: —
Current national team: Scotland U-21
Position: winger, wide midfielder, fullback, attacking midfielder
Preferred foot: right
Market value (by transfermarkt.de): —
Tournaments participated in: 2022 UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualification (3/0/2), 2022 UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualification elite round (3/3/1), UEFA Youth League 2022/2023 (6/4/5)
Contract until: unknown
Player’s agent: unknown
Transfer rumours: —
Similar type of player: Joaquín
Strengths:
– pace
– acceleration
– dribbling
– dynamism
– technique
– ball control
– creativity
– agility
– flair
– football IQ
– first touch
– work rate
– passing 
– vision
– versatility
– movement
– athleticism
To improve:
– aerial challenges
– crossing
– long shots
– temper (easily angered when decisions go against him)
Style of play:
– old fashioned winger
– capable to play on both wings, but much prefers the right
– player with good body mass ratio, physical strength, power, stamina, and natural fitness
– player with a low centre of gravity, superb acceleration, agility, flair, body balance, changes of pace, and coordination
– fast, powerful, mobile, and calculated
– unpredictable/constantly changes up his movements which never allows the defenders to read where he is going
– likes to employ tricks and impressive skills to pass or stay in possession of the ball
– likes to play a direct style by running straight at defenders with pace
– creative player with elite technical abilities
– excellent first touch
– likes to play in a free attacking role granted the freedom to roam the pitch and find space
– creative at his off-the-ball movements, and likes to find the best space to receive the ball
– even in the tightest of spaces his movement and read of the game make him almost always an available passing outlet
– likes to dribble
– likes to use stepovers and body feints
– likes to press
– always tries to find a vertical option in his game, so he is very capable of pushing his team forward to finishing positions
– likes to put low drives into/across the box rather than cross
– likes to drive to the byline with the ball and make cutback passes in the box
– likes to a make line breaking runs off the ball
– extremely comfortable playing close to the touchline and byline with the ball at his feet
– makes intricate movements that allow him to orchestrate quick but complex back and forth passing plays at low speed to bail out his teammates in tight spaces
– likes to and possesses the ability to dribble and make quick combinations (particular tendency towards one-twos) with his teammates at top speed
– often uses his skills to beat defenders, cut inside, and create himself a decent opportunity to score from
– often makes surging runs into the penalty box
– able to get out of various different scenarios, able to play wide and go direct, or being central and cutting through the lines/able to make the difference at any time
– above-average passing, vision, and playmaking skills
– capable of breaking the lines with precise vertical balls over the top of or through the defense
– spectacular dribbler able to make effective solo runs to beat the defensive line
– very strong in 1v1 situations, unpredictable, and confident of his skills
– very skillful at beating his markers and evading pressure/press resistant player
– displays a natural technique to dribble in tight spaces/under pressure
– extremely dangerous on the counter thanks to his electric pace and acceleration
– slightly chaotic sometimes but he’s also very active and tenacious in the defensive phase/pressing, not afraid of duels
– extremely difficult to bring to ground or knock off the ball (especially for a player of his size) thanks to his strength, tenacity, and excellent ball control even while being pushed or pulled down/doesn’t like to go to ground and stop play, fights it like a bull and keeps getting up/difficult to foul without getting carded
– very capable of holding up the ball when needed (running down the clock/lone attacker down to ten men)
– gets fouled often
– avoids using his weaker left foot
– high determination and winning mentality
He is best suited to playing as:
Right winger in 4-2-3-1.
Video:
Achievements:
Scottish Premiership 2021/22 winner with Celtic
League summary (as for 6 November 2022):
Scottish Premiership: 2 games/ 0 goals (Celtic)
Description:
Ben made his senior debut for Celtic at the age of 16 years and 79 days in January 2022, coming on as a 68th-minute substitute during the 1-0 Scottish Premiership win over Aberdeen, and becoming the second youngest player in the club’s history. Doak even became the youngest-ever player to make their Old Firm(Glasgow Derby) debut, being brought on against Rangers as a substitute at the age of 16 years and 83 days in February 2022. He joined Liverpool for a fee believed to be around £600,000. Playing up multiple age groups is something he has made a habit out of throughout his youth career. Continuing this trend, Ben became Scotland U-21’s youngest-ever goalscorer and second youngest-ever player at the age of 16 years and 315 days, when he scored on his debut in the 3-1 win against Northern Ireland in September 2022. Similarly, Doak is Scotland U-17’s joint-third youngest-ever goalscorer, having scored on debut at the age of 15 years and 295 days. Just as well, he is Scotland U-16’s second youngest-ever player, having made his debut at the age of 13 years and 348 days.
Quotes:
– “He was like a wee rocket– His ability was quite raw but he had this physical presence, that is how he could compete and play up front. He was fearless on the park. It didn’t matter who he was playing against, it could have been a 6ft guy and he wouldn’t have been fazed. In training, he was just a sponge. He was very quiet and would always listen. He would turn up to training and even though he was the youngest, there was no carry-on from him — he was there to train and to learn. He was a delight to coach.”
(Evan Fairns, Dalry U-20s Coach)
– “We played Rangers at Murray Park and even playing against academy players a year older than him, Ben stood out. I remember he scored against Celtic twice when we beat them 2-0. For his second goal, he just broke away and lobbed it over the keeper.”
(Evan Fairns, Dalry U-20s Coach)
– “Ben always had that dedication, that commitment and desire to make it. That set him apart. He was so single-minded that he was going to make it. On his days off he was up there practising. He wasn’t sitting in his house playing Xbox, he was working on his finishing.”
(Evan Fairns, Dalry U-20s Coach)
– “He’s a fantastic kid who comes from a good family. He looked really composed for his age.”
(Ange Postecogelou, Celtic Manager)
“What I really love about Ben is his ambition in terms of where he wants to go in the game. It’s OK having ambitions of playing in the Champions League, but you’ve got to train like it. And as soon as I met Ben, I realised that he was a young player who wanted all of the information to improve, he was a young player who was going to work really hard to get better. In the first training camp we had and throughout our season, he never changed. He was the same. And that’s what I like about him the most.”
– (Brian McLaughlin, Scotland U17 Coach)
Football Report potential rating:
9/10
Player has the potential to become a key player in a top European club.