Ronnie Whelan picked out one Liverpool youngster for special praise during this afternoon’s pre-season friendly against Greuther Furth.
Ben Doak impressed during the rollercoaster 4-4 draw, catching the eye with his display in the opening 45 minutes before Jurgen Klopp introduced a whole new team for the second half.
The former Reds and Republic of Ireland player was on punditry duty for LFC TV when he singled out the pace and trickery of the 17-year-old, while also highlighting one passage of play where the teenager could’ve done a bit better.
Whelan said of the Liverpool youngster: “He’s so quick! He’s away from the defenders. Over three or four yards he’s away and he was gone.
“He did this same thing [when] he was away, but he just didn’t play the pass. That has to come into his game as he gets older and more streetwise.
“But his trickery… He has a lot to offer, the kid. All defenders will be scared stiff if he comes on the pitch or he starts.”
Whelan was quite right to single out Doak for such glowing praise, with the 17-year-old again giving a performance which’ll have delighted Klopp.
The young winger stood out with one particularly promising moment early in the game, carrying the ball from the halfway line all the way into the Greuther Furth penalty area and getting past his marker before firing a shot narrowly wide.
The Liverpool Echo‘s Ian Doyle was also pleased with the Scotsman’s display, hailing his ‘regular threat down the right’ in his post-match player ratings piece.
Doak also made a big impression during last week’s win over Karlsruher, and while he’s highly unlikely to start regularly in the Premier League in 2023/24, he’s certainly doing plenty in pre-season to play himself into the manager’s thoughts for competitive game-time over the next few months.
The Europa League and domestic cup competitions could be the 17-year-old’s playground, and on recent evidence he’s more than ready to light up those particular stages.
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