Ben Doak 'impresses' Liverpool boss as ex Celtic star earns glowing verdict amid Anfield rise

Liverpool under-19s boss Barry Lewtas has praised the impact of Ben Doak after the former Celtic starlet scored and assisted during his side's UEFA Youth League victory over Napoli on Wednesday.

Doak switched Celtic for Merseyside in July and has already grabbed three goals and an assist in three games for the under-18s this season. And Lewtas believes Doak has quickly shown he can embrace that step up in quality after his immediate contribution on his first outing in Europe for the U19s.

"Sometimes you can watch a player in the flesh a number of times, but it’s very much different when you are working with them as well,” he told the Liverpool Echo. "You get to learn their personality, to see what they offer the team, and I was really impressed. Ben linked the game up well. Ben is a real direct runner with the ball. You wouldn’t want to defend against him. You can see he has been around senior players, he’s tough and robust in certain moments, he can take contact. He’s had more experience but there’s still a lot he can improve.”

Doak made his senior debut for Celtic in January 2022, coming on as a 86th minute substitute in a 1-0 win over Dundee United. He later was involved against Rangers which signalled the interest of Liverpool to swoop in a £600,000 move.

Last Thursday, the 16-year-old was also called up to the Scotland under-21s squad for the first time which shows the fast development he is making.