Ben Doak can make surprise transfer case to Arne Slot after Liverpool wildcard injury hell

In a year to remember for Liverpool’s academy, where 18 of their players past and present played for Jurgen Klopp’s first team, it was somewhat cruel that Ben Doak missed out on their finest hour.

An injury-plagued Reds memorably beat Chelsea to lift the League Cup at Wembley back in February, boasting a matchday squad that contained nine academy starlets. While Harvey Elliott and Caoimhin Kelleher were already Liverpool regulars, the remaining seven had only been promoted in the weeks and months prior - and had previously been behind the young Scot in the pecking order as a result.

If not for injury, Doak would have been part of such a squad. The highly-rated 18-year-old had started the third-round victory over Leicester City and was poised to be handed further opportunities over the winter months when Mohamed Salah departed for Africa Cup of Nations duty.

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But with 10 senior games already under his belt for the club, his season was ended prematurely in December. Handed a first Premier League 2 appearance for the Under-21s against Chelsea, in a bid to hand him some needed game-time, he was forced off with a knee injury inside the opening half-hour.

The setback required surgery and he has been sidelined ever since. Consequently, it was the likes of Jayden Danns and Lewis Koumas who were tasked with stepping up to Klopp’s first team in the absence of Doak when Liverpool required attacking reinforcements.

But after six months on the sidelines, there is light at the end of the tunnel for the 18-year-old. Doak has been named in Scotland’s provisional squad for Euro 2024 as he prepares to make his injury comeback.

He had previously been touted for the maiden call earlier in the campaign, only to first stay put with Scotland Under-21s before injury robbed him of such an opportunity. But his lengthy lay-off hasn’t prevented Steve Clarke from selecting him in a 28-man provisional squad - which will later be cut to 26 players.

While he’ll be looking to earn a place on the flight to Germany for the European Championships, at the very least, a full international debut surely awaits in friendlies against Gibraltar or Finland if Doak can prove his fitness before the finals.

Signed from Celtic in a £600k deal in the summer of 2022 when just 16 years old, Doak was already the name on everybody’s lips at Liverpool’s academy when handed his Reds debut against Derby County in the League Cup in November.

He had enjoyed a blistering start to the season with the Under-18s, Under-19s, and Under-21s, and was rewarded with a first professional contract just days after that maiden senior appearance against the Rams. A Premier League debut would then follow away at Aston Villa on Boxing Day following the 2022 World Cup.

Finishing the season with five first team appearances, Doak went on to impress in pre-season and even scored in a 4-0 pre-season friendly win over Leicester City in Singapore. A further five senior appearances followed in the first half of the 2023/24 campaign before his untimely injury, having come into the campaign as many a supporters' Reds starlet to watch.

In truth, the 18-year-old had found himself caught between first team and Under-21s. While the Europa League and League Cup had offered him senior opportunities, Liverpool’s injuries left him needed by Klopp but lacking game-time.

An unused substitute on 10 occasions during the first half of the campaign, he was left unable to play for Barry Lewtas’ side as a result and unable to push on as hoped. Consequently, it was a cruel blow when Doak was struck down by injury himself when belatedly freed up to play - with his absence later opening the door to his academy team-mates as a result.

Those same youth team-mates will now form part of Arne Slot’s first squad when reporting back for pre-season at the start of July. But if all goes well for Doak, he will be with Scotland in Germany instead.

He is joined by Andy Robertson in Clarke’s provisional squad, with the pair becoming the 11th and 12 Liverpool players to be on the verge of competing at Euro 2024. Throw in the Reds’ four South Americans set to participate at the Copa America, and Slot will have to wait to meet a large proportion of his senior squad this summer.

Doak could emerge as Scotland’s wildcard in Germany as they prepare to lock horns with the host nation, Switzerland, and Hungary. If included, it will give the teenager a welcome boost after months of injury frustration.

"Ben's got a lot of talent," Clarke said when explaining his decision to call-up the winger after naming his squad. "He catches the eye and his pace will be something we haven't got in abundance.

"He offers something different. He's a young man with a lot to learn, but I've never worked closely with him yet, so it seems the right opportunity to put him in. With the squad moving from 23 to 26 I thought it was something I had to do, so let's see how he does."

Regardless of if he is included in Scotland's final squad or not, he will go into both the summer and pre-season on a high and take valuable steps on his road to recovery - after the end of the season had seemingly come at the wrong time for the 18-year-old - before reporting back to the AXA Training Centre.

It will then be curious to see what the 2024/25 season has in store for the winger. With Liverpool back in the Champions League, so no Europa League on offer, he will have to fight even harder for senior opportunities.

Yet a return to Europe's elite competition also means a return to the UEFA Youth League for the Under-19s. But boasting 11 goals and eight assists from 29 appearances in Premier League 2, the EFL Trophy, UEFA Youth League, and the U18 Premier League, there is an argument that the 18-year-old has already grown beyond such a level.

It will be up to Slot to find the best place for him, be it with the first team, playing academy football, or out on loan.

In the meantime, Doak will be looking to make up for lost time back at Liverpool this summer - keen to catch the eye of his new head coach. And while time will tell if he has to wait to make such introductions with Slot, the stage is still set for the youngster to remind everyone why he is so highly-rated in the first place.