Ben is learning from Salah, while Davis is Charlie’s perfect role model
Liverpool’s Scottish starlet, Ben Doak, admits he’s feeding into a Mo Salah masterclass after a sensational debut for Scotland Under-21s.
The 16-year-old took just eight minutes to make an impact on his debut for Scot Gemmill’s side by scoring the second goal for the new-look young Scots in a 3-1 win against Northern Ireland in Belfast last Thursday.
Former Celtic kid Doak has been touted as one of the most-exciting young Scots in a generation after his summer move from the Scottish champions to Anfield.
He has hit the ground running with the Merseyside club after netting in a recent UEFA Youth League win at Napoli.
Doak was fast-tracked into the Under-21s after previously missing out on the Under-17s Finals with Scotland in Israel in May through injury.
And as he prepares to face the second game in the double-header against Northern Ireland in Paisley this afternoon, Doak admits he is improving all the time after studying the inspirational Egyptian legend.
“My debut for the Under-21s just felt like any other game, to be honest,” said Doak. “I wasn’t really nervous. The boys have been good with me, and I have settled in very comfortably.
“There’s been a lot of adjustments recently, but I think I’ve done really well with the changes.
“It’s mostly been about me getting to know people at a new club. The football has not really changed.
“I just need to try to keep getting better, particularly on the off-the-ball stuff. Being on the ball is one of my strengths, but you can always do better.
“I look up to Mo Salah, obviously. Even if he is not having the greatest of games, he always pops up with a goal. His numbers are incredible.
“It helps that I’ve done really well in the first couple of games for Liverpool. I’ve got all the numbers to back that up.
“Even if I’m not having a good game, I can look back to what I have done earlier in the season to keep my confidence up.
“Six months ago, you’d never have found me defending whatsoever. And that’s the difference between making it into a firstteam player rather than just a youth player.
“I am trying to turn my all-round game into a strength.
“I have not seen the first team too often, but I think that’s deliberate to make you want to get up there. If I saw them all the time, it wouldn’t be normal.”
Doak insists he has no regrets about the move from Celtic, after he made two sub appearances for the Hoops last term.
“I was just trying to think of the best path to go down to get better as a football player,” he said. “Once I got to Liverpool, and saw the standards and the facilities, it’s top, top level. You don’t get any better than where I am at right now.
“Celtic are the club that made me the person and the player I am. I owe them everything.”
Meanwhile, Charlie Mccann has revealed the debt he owes to club and country team-mate, Steven Davis, after he was thrust into the Rangers limelight.
The midfielder was handed a surprise start by manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst last Saturday as the Light Blues ended their poor run with a win over Dundee United at Ibrox.
It was the first time the 20-year-old had started after a couple of previous substitute appearances, and the former Manchester United kid has been tipped for a big future.
Mccann played for Northern Ireland in Belfast, and is set to feature today in the second of a friendly double-header. He’s revealed he’s learning from Northern Ireland stalwart Davis, who has a staggering 138 caps.
Mccann said: “Saturday was a brilliant experience, and it was great for me to get the full game against Scotland.
“I can’t say if it has come quicker or slower than I thought at Rangers. I’d like to think it’s come at the right time.
“Obviously, I am still developing and I need to keep progressing. So, hopefully, I can get more chances.
“The person I look up to and admire would obviously be Steven Davis. He is a very, very good player.
“All the lads and staff at Rangers help me every day in training.
“But Steven is the person I can learn from because there are similarities in the way he plays, and the way I want to play.
“There are a lot of aspects that I want to learn from him, and he’s the perfect role model.”