Steve Clarke addresses Ben Doak Scotland call up as Tartan Army hype train derailed by Liverpool prospect caveat

Steve Clarke has confirmed he already has one eye on wonderkid Ben Doak as he prepares to beef up his attacking options ahead of next summer’s Euros in Germany.

The Scotland boss is considering adding a number of new recruits with Newcastle duo Eliot Anderson and Harvey Barnes still at the centre of a possible double defection from England. But Liverpool winger Doak is also under consideration for a possible fast-tracking into the full squad after making a stunning competitive debut for Scot Gemmill’s Under-21s in Spain on Monday night.

The 17-year-old has made the breakthrough into Jurgen Klopp’s first team squad and is set to be given an extended run of games in this season’s Europa League as well as the two domestic cup competitions. Klopp, who has described Doak as a ‘special’ talent, sent him on as a substitute for Mo Salah in Liverpool’s Premier League opener at Chelsea and has named the youngster on his bench for every game since the start of the new campaign.

Doak even earned a standing ovation from sections of a sell-out the home support in Jaen on Monday as he starred against the Spaniards. And Clarke said: “Anybody who watched the under-21 game on Monday night - and I did watch it - could see he is really good. In the first half I thought he was really good, in the second half he didn’t get in the game quite so much.

“He is a young man learning the game. Going away and playing against Spain under-21s away and being one of the highlights of the game is good for him. I was actually quite pleased with quite a lot of the young boys. I thought they did well, they competed well with Spain. So you look down and think, ‘Yeah, we can continue to improve’ That is what we are trying to do.”

The ever cautious Clarke will