Liverpool ace just dominated one of the PL’s best players for his country

Arne Slot has settled into his new surroundings in England extremely well so far, as his Liverpool side continue to show no hangovers from the end of the Jurgen Klopp reign.

Sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League with a stunning six victories from seven, another lengthy international break might have come at a disruptive point for the Dutchman’s team, with the Reds wanting to build more momentum and add more wins next to their name away from any off-time.

Still, this Liverpool youngster will have enjoyed the break more than others, as the promising ace in question won his first-ever senior start for his nation.

Doak’s performance vs Croatia

Ben Doak doesn’t currently find himself up for contention for any starts at Anfield, however, with the exciting 18-year-old on the books of Michael Carrick’s Middlesbrough on a temporary loan basis this season.

Doak will love cutting his teeth in the Championship though, alongside also being recognised by Scotland in the senior mix away from the Reds, with the Boro loanee gifted a chance versus Croatia in the Nations League.

The teenage winger certainly didn’t look out of place in Steve Clarke’s starting XI either, even when facing off against Manchester City star Josko Gvardiol, who was boldly labelled as “one of the best LBs in the league” by football content creator Mark Goldbridge earlier this year.

Still, Doak wasn’t fazed by the challenge of getting the better of the Croat and his teammates, with the 18-year-old successfully managing two dribbles as a livewire for his nation coming up against some stern opponents.

It wasn’t the most complete display from the Liverpool youth product, but it was a promising showing all the same from the raw attacker, with The Herald journalist David Irvine handing out a 7/10 rating to Doak post-match, stating that the Reds number 50 was a “real handful” all night for Croatia.

With a goal under his belt playing at the Riverside Stadium this season too, Slot will have lots to ponder over when it comes to the immediate future of Doak at Anfield, and whether first-team chances will be forthcoming down the line for the energetic Scotsman.

Doak’s future at Anfield

Klopp was a big fan of the teenager when he was still occupying the Liverpool dug-out, with the much-loved German boss even describing Doak as “special” when giving him chances here and there in the men’s set-up.

It would lead to Doak being given ten first-team appearances in total, but a loan move away from his boyhood employers was deemed the best for his progression this summer, as Slot went about leaving his mark on proceedings.

Doak will just hope he doesn’t end up suffering the same fate as Sepp Van Den Berg and Fabio Carvalho when he returns back to Liverpool, with the pair both once promising Liverpool prospects in their own right but now find themselves on the books of Brentford permanently, instead of coming into their own at Anfield.

But, the 18-year-old will have full faith in his ability to finally become a part of Slot’s first-team plans down the line, especially if Mohamed Salah does walk away from the Reds shortly, which would free up more space for competition to be had down the right wing.

Before anyone gets carried away, however, Doak will just be glad more game time is coming his way in the second tier, with his bright showing against Croatia on the international stage one sign that he could blossom into a top talent for Liverpool down the line.

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