Yahoo Sport 
Ben Doak will earn superstar status at Liverpool as Middlesbrough pal talks up Scotland prospect
They're two of Scotland’s most prodigious young talents.
Who, ironically, are being nurtured and developed by a former England star. Tommy Conway and Ben Doak are a couple of the country’s brightest hopes. And in terms of their character and personality they might just represent a new breed of Scotland player. Confident, cocky – call it what you want – but their gallus nature is getting the Tartan Army excited again. It just so happens that Conway and Doak are together at Championship side Middlesbrough under gaffer Michael Carrick.
They’re combining every week to create and score which surely must bode well for Steve Clarke. The pair are in the squad for a Nations League double-header against Croatia at Hampden on Friday followed by Poland in Warsaw three days later. Conway can’t wait, not just to try to take his terrific club form on to the international stage but also to team up with his Boro pal, who has already made an impression in Clarke’s national team.
Conway, at 22, is like Doak’s guardian at the Riverside. But he rates the winger so highly he’s tipping him to be a superstar for Liverpool – his parent club – and Scotland for years to come. In Doak’s first start in Croatia last month he gave £77million Manchester City defender Josko Gvardiol a torrid time.
Now Conway would love the chance for them to cause mayhem together in dark blue shirts. He said: “I’ve put my arm around Doakie and looked after him a bit. But he has taken to it here at Boro like a duck to water.
“I can’t say enough about him. He’s like what he is on the pitch off it as well – he’s electric. The boy’s always at it. Hopefully we can both take that on to the international stage and cause carnage there.
“When Doakie is dribbling with the ball, going at someone, you just know something’s going to happen. And as a striker myself, that’s what I want. He’s going to chuck in a stepover, get to the byline and put in a cross, which is great for me.
“He can do that for Scotland as well. You saw it in the last camp. I watched the Croatia game where he gave Gvardiol a hard time. When Doakie came back, he joked that he had him in his pocket. That sums him up.
“His pace and skill is there for everyone to see. He’s still a young boy with so much to learn but he has never lacked confidence. He thinks he should start every game for Scotland. As a footballer, you have to think like that.
“He started against Croatia and Portugal and was buzzing because they’re top sides. That will definitely stand him in good stead. You can tell Doakie has been around a first-team environment for a long time. He knows how to handle himself in a changing room, which can be hard at times.
“He’ll go back to Liverpool thinking he should start and that’s credit to his character. When you have that mentality it’s going to happen. When he eventually goes back there I expect him to get in the team.”
Conway and Doak have progressed from Scot Gemmill’s Under-21 side to Clarke’s full squad. A few years ago there was a fear across the nation about a potential dearth of talent coming through.
But the £4.5m frontman reckons the new breed should fill fans with hope for the future. He said: “You’ve got Josh Doig, Max Johnston, Connor Barron and Cieran Slicker who have now all been picked for the full squad.
“You’ve also got Lennon Miller who is making a big name for himself this season. I only had one Under-21s camp with Lennon but it was enough to see he’s good enough. It hasn’t surprised me to see him kick on this year.
“So there are loads of lads in that age group, it’s packed with talent. I’d say the future looks bright for Scotland, for sure.”
If you add those names to Aaron Hickey, Nathan Patterson, Billy Gilmour, Scott McTominay and Lewis Ferguson – who are all at a good age – it offers encouragement for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. And Conway can’t help thinking about the potential of being involved in the USA, Canada and Mexico in 2026.
He said: “I always think about it if I’m honest – especially when you look at some of the boys I played with at Under-21 level. Even Billy is still so young. When you look at players like that, when major tournaments come up, it would be special to share those times and get the country there.
“There’s so much more to come from Scotland. It would be amazing to achieve it with the players I’ve grown up with for Scotland. We want to give back to the country.”
In the present, Conway wants to replicate his Middlesbrough form for Clarke’s side next week. He has five goals in 11 games under Carrick and reckons the Boro boss can improve him and Doak.
Conway said: “The manager and what he’s done with players before were big factors in me coming here. Me and Doakie are learning from him.
“He’s played at the highest level, won major trophies for Manchester United, so knows what it takes. That’s only going to help me and Doakie for club and country.”
Tune in to Hotline Live every Sunday to Thursday and have your say on the biggest issues in Scottish football.
