Steve Clarke issues blunt Ben Doak reminder amid Liverpool youngster's Scotland impact

Scotland national team boss Steve Clarke believes Den Doak is showing signs of improvement from his short spell on loan at Middlesbrough from Liverpool so far. However, he insists pressure must not be placed on the teenager before he becomes the finished article.

Signed from Celtic as a 16-year-old in the summer of 2022, Doak quickly became a star of tomorrow Reds supporters had their eye on. Jurgen Klopp would afford the youngster plenty of opportunities to play and learn from the likes of Mohamed Salah in training, and he was rewarded with a first professional contract in November 2022.

Since Arne Slot has arrived, the decision was taken to sanction a Championship loan similar to those that have served Harvey Elliott and Tyler Morton well in recent seasons. Middlesbrough was his chosen destination, and for the North East club he has four goal contributions in 10 appearances.

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Another definitive aspect of Doak's career has been his rise through Scotland's ranks. At the age of 19 he already has four senior caps, the latest of which saw him give the most expensive defender in the world, Manchester City's Josko Gvardiol, a thorough runaround.

"He can be (a game changer), as long as we look after him and make sure that he continues to develop. A lot of people see the good things that he does," Clarke responded to reporters when asked whether the Liverpool prospect had earned a start for Scotland's next Nations League match against Poland tonight.

Though he would add: "Me and my coaching staff are a little bit more analytical. We’ll see other things that he doesn’t do quite so well, because he’s only a young player and he’s looking to learn."

Assessing Doak's development from the moment he emerged as a talent right through to the present day, Clarke ultimately dealt one piece of advice both club and country need to take note of.

"I think he’s in a good environment at Middlesbrough in terms of learning the game and working on the game. When I watch his progress there, from when he got into the team until now, he’s improved already, in my opinion.

"But there’s a lot to work on over the years. But, at the moment, you guys can all be excited about what he does with the ball. There’s plenty of time for him to develop and it’s important not to put too much pressure on the boy."