(Video) ‘The future is now’ – Ben Doak terrorises Poland with ‘top showing’ in Scotland victory
Ben Doak caught the eye once again with a standout performance for Scotland in their dramatic victory over Poland on Monday night.
Needing a win to avoid automatic relegation from the top tier of the UEFA Nations League, Steve Clarke’s side were being held 1-1 in Warsaw when, in the third minute of stoppage time, Andy Robertson rode to the rescue to earn them a March play-off for the right to preserve their League A status.
While the Liverpool left-back conjured the game’s decisive moment, another man on the books at Anfield ensured that he too would be foremost among the post-match discussion.
Doak shines for Scotland once again
Doak claimed his first assist for Scotland in the occasion of his sixth cap by teeing up John McGinn to score in the opening three minutes, and the 19-year-old looked like a seasoned professional against a Poland side accustomed to playing in major tournaments.
Whether casually retaining the ball under pressure or terrorising the Polish defence with his formidable dribbling ability, the Middlesbrough loanee showed that he very much belongs at a high level, despite making just 22 senior club career appearances so far.
What the Scottish media said about Doak
Doak had many of the Scottish media eating out of his hand with his eye-catching performance in Warsaw.
The Herald‘s Ewan Paton gave him 8/10 in his post-match player ratings and praised ‘another top showing‘, while Mark Atkinson of The Scotsman lauded him as ‘a player who gets you on the edge of your seat’ and Paul Forsyth wrote in the Daily Mail that ‘his sense of adventure was thrilling’.
Meanwhile, Ben Banks of the Edinburgh Evening News gushed: “The nation’s next great attacking hope? After lighting up Croatia, he left Poland on the ropes with menacing runs before tiring and being subbed. Got an assist. The future is now.”
As per Sofascore, Doak completed 93% of his passes last night (25/27) and recorded a team-high four key passes, along with winning two duels and making two clearances as part of the collective effort.
A certain Mo Salah continues to stand in the way of breaking into the Liverpool starting XI regularly once he returns from his loan at Middlesbrough, but on the evidence of his performances for Scotland this month, the teenager looks well capable of becoming an Anfield hero further down the line.
You can view the highlights of Doak’s performance against Poland below, via @BradleyLFC24v3 on X:
Ben Doak vs Poland – 66 minutes played pic.twitter.com/cPp7skzGWO
— Bradley (@BradleyLFC24v3) November 18, 2024
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