Future in Liverpool? The next Salah?
Doak may be 19 years old, but he already has a huge CV of coaches he’s worked with in a short amount of time.
He has a former Premier League winner in Carrick as his current mentor, with Ange Postecoglou handing the striker his first-team debut at Celtic, while Jurgen Klopp did the same at Liverpool in November 2022.
Klopp’s Liverpool have at times been known as ‘mentality monsters’ and it is no surprise that Doak is fitting into the first team environment.
In training last year, the German was heard describing the winger as “the present and the future of Scotland” and Doak’s mindset has taken some notice.
“He was never the type of player to mess around and carry on,” Anderson says. “He was very grounded, always wanting to learn and always listening.”
That mentality is necessary in the championship. As defenders notice his pace, the Scot has learned to resist aggression strongly.
After Doak was involved in a nasty challenge from Oxford United’s Elliott Moore last month, Carrick said the striker “has to learn to deal with it”.
“Even at that level they could be aggressive if the high kicks and knocks, and because he was such a fast player, obviously there would be fouls; no matter how hard it was to do, he would just get back up and roll up his socks.
“He had his aggressive side in the right way, mentality-wise he was very strong at such a young age. So it’s no wonder he’s doing so well, he has that mentality.”
It’s that mentality that could stand Doak in good stead, especially at Liverpool.The Scot is likely to earn a place in the Slot’s first team next summer as the right-back position puts pressure on Mohamed Salah’s contract situation.
“There is talk that he is doing so well at Middlesbrough that he could replace Salah. those are huge shoes to fill,” Anderson says.
“But with his mindset and trajectory and where he’s going right now, the sky’s the limit for him. He has the potential to go on and become a world-class player. you hear former players and pundits say the same thing. If they see it…
With Middlesbrough and Scotland, it’s clear that Doak is not that different in style from Salah; a winger who loves setting up teammates as much as scoring goals.
But heed the reminder that Doak still has a long way to go, and that he’s still a small guy compared to his potential.
“With the Scottish team, I see that he is also very passionate. his celebrations when he scores or assists, he’s still celebrating like he’s scoring,” Anderson said.
“From a nine-year-old, there are definitely qualities he still has now.”
Watch Burnley v Middlesbrough live on Sky Sports this Friday from 19:00, kick-off at 20:00.
