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Ben Doak was denied a shot at making his Scotland debut in the Euros due to injury, and his cheeky quip to John McGinn has earned him quite the praise from the Aston Villa man.
The 18-year-old was loaned to the Championship’s Middlesbrough for the season to aid in his development, with, hopefully, regular senior minutes to come his way.
Doak featured in Liverpool’s pre-season, and despite having not played competitively since December due to injury, Scotland manager Steve Clarke again showed his faith in the youngster.
He is in line to make his senior international debut in either of Scotland’s matches this month against Poland and Portugal, a chance that injury took from him at the Euros.
And Doak earned a fan in McGinn by how he addressed his absence and the fact that Scotland were knocked out in the group stages.
“He cheered me up last night,” the Aston Villa captain said, as quoted by the Daily Record. “There was only five or six of us that arrived because a lot of the boys were travelling and played yesterday.
“We were touching on the Euros, and he said, ‘Aye, if I stayed fit it might have been different!’
“That’s just his character and it’s brilliant. He’s got a lot of confidence, he’s a good laugh, and he’s fitted in well.”
Confidence has been a notable trait among young Liverpool players over the years and it has always been clear that it is not something Doak lacks.
The forward has played for Scotland’s U16s, U17s and U21s so far, and there is growing expectation for what he can offer the senior side, even if he is just 18.
? Reporting for duty.#SCOPOL | #PORSCO pic.twitter.com/TLK7W4Z8D6
— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) September 3, 2024
McGinn added: “I think everyone’s aware of his ability and he’s certainly something different to what we’ve got. Hopefully, we can see that on Thursday (against Poland).
“Even in training, he’s so explosive. Sheer pace, power, strength. It’s certainly something we’ve been missing over the past couple of seasons.
“He’s definitely going to bring something different there and, hopefully, we can see. He’ll definitely get supporters off their seats.”
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