Ben Doak has expressed playing at the ‘elite level’ was the main factor for his departure from Celtic in 2022…
The 18 year-old featured for the Hoops on two occasions, and was left unimpressed with his lack of senior minutes in Glasgow. Celtic received a training compensation fee of £600,000 from English Premier League giants Liverpool where he has made 10 first team appearances.
Doak is currently on loan at Middlesbrough
Currently on loan at Middlesbrough in the English Championship, Doak has played five times for the Ironopolis. He completed a milestone on his debut for Michael Carrick’s side scoring his first ever senior goal in a 2-0 victory over Stoke City.
Meanwhile, regular football has resulted in Scotland call-up’s where Steve Clarke gave him his inaugural cap against Poland last month. Doak, who will be an integral part of Scotland squad’s in years to come is expected to feature in upcoming Nations League fixtures against Croatia and Portugal.
An elite level
Speaking to Daily Record, Doak expressed the reasons behind his decision making in leaving his boyhood club two years ago, “to be honest, I felt like that was the right move at the time to go down south and go and play and train at an elite level. I wasn’t really thinking about playing with Scotland at that point (when Doak was at Celtic).
“Everyone knows how good the Liverpool squad has been and how they are doing currently. They’re top of the league, so I didn’t see any cons to going there.”
Celtic lost Doak, Vata then Kelly
Celtic has a major issue just now of securing their youth players on lengthier contracts. Doak, was the first of many recent academy prospects to depart Celtic for England. Since then, Rocco Vata turned down a five-year deal in favour of a move to English Championship side Watford in the summer. Scottish midfielder Daniel Kelly was similar, exiting for Millwall in the summer.
Two Celtic Academy graduates who remained at the club are in Steve Clarke’s squad alongside Ben Doak. Both Anthony Ralston and James Forrest are expected to be called upon in what is a depleted side.
Celtic in the Thirties
In other Celtic news, it’s great to report that Matt Corr’s new books Celtic in the Thirties are available to pre-order now and there’s a Q&A with Matt Corr on The Celtic Star which you can read below.
Conor Spence
READ THIS…Know Your History – Matt Corr’s Celtic in the Thirties Q&A
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
And this so called elite level training has resulted in 10 games in 2 seasons at Liverpool, and 5 at his potential shop window loan club Middlesbrough for this season?
Is that really a better return, than if he actually stayed with ourselves, to learn there trade better with more game time available?
Personally don’t believe so, where doak could have found his identity as a player with ourselves, and if successful with ourselves, could have moved later on, to add the extra quality’s within his game, when in a better position to do so imo?
Still think way to many of these youngsters from within our academy are being advised badly?
And if doak really believes that a season with Middlesbrough can be classed as a better development season for himself, than what he could have had this season with ourselves and the one’s beforehand?
Then still fail to see how, not unless you consider money before career?