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Jurgen Klopp admitted he was “excited” by Liverpool starlet Ben Doak after the youngster's debut in the Carabao Cup last night.
Caoimhin Kelleher was the hero as holders Liverpool scraped through a Carabao Cup third-round tie against Derby on penalties.
The Rams held the Reds to a 0-0 draw after normal time - an impressive feat considering when Liverpool were competing in last season’s Champions League final, Derby were in administration and had just been relegated to League One.
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Klopp made 11 changes for the game and brought 16-year-old winger Doak for his Liverpool debut in the second half.
The Scot, who was signed from Celtic earlier this year, had been making waves in the youth team, and he certainly didn’t let himself down on his first-time debut.
Klopp and co impressed
Jurgen Klopp was impressed by how Doak carried himself at such a tender age.
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The Liverpool boss said post-match: "When Ben came on he looked really good. There's a lot to come. We are excited about it."
Meanwhile, former Liverpool full-back and pundit Steven Warnock was also impressed.
He said: "Liverpool's best attacking player since he came on has been Doak. He's attacked with real intent and tried to make things happen.
"He’s had such a rise that he started in the Under-18s at Liverpool, moved up to the Under-23s, scored a couple of goals and now he’s got his chance in the first team.
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“He doesn’t shy away, he always wants to be positive.”
Doak in the Premier League?
Doak has been a big part of Liverpool’s success in the UEFA Youth League, a Champions League-style tournament for under-19 teams.
This term Liverpool have topped their group with five wins from six matches and will compete in the last 16 of the tournament in the new year.
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Indeed, Doak has been a key part of their success, having scored four goals and provided four assists for his teammates. That’s a return that has been mirrored by the likes of Dominic Solanke, Fabio Silva and Xavi Simons in the past.
Meanwhile, Doak joins the likes of Harvey Elliott, Karim Adeyemi, Conor Gallagher and Dominik Szoboszlai with four assists in the competition.
Of course, it is likely too early to give a 16-year-old regular game time in the Premier League, but it does seem Doak can make the step up when called upon.
It is not beyond the realms of possibility to see Doak get more first-team minutes in the near future. To do so regularly though, he would have to displace Mohamed Salah - which is not going to happen any time soon.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Football, Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp, Carabao Cup