Liverpool star Andy Robertson has tipped Ben Doak to shine at Middlesbrough, but has sent a word of warning about the 18-year-old.
Doak arrived as a deadline day loan signing at the Riverside Stadium after the Premier League side decided to let him leave to play regular first-team football.
The winger is one of the most exciting prospects at Anfield and he could make his debut for Boro this weekend after returning from international duty with Scotland, where he came off the bench in the defeats to Poland and Portugal.
Andy Robertson insists Ben Doak can still improve
There is plenty of optimism on Teeside regarding Doak’s arrival after the former Celtic youth star’s accolades from the likes of Jurgen Klopp in the past, who described him as a “special boy”.
His potential even saw him in contention for a place in Scotland’s Euro 2024 squad only to miss out due to injury.
Having impressed in Scotland’s September fixtures there is belief that he could play a major role in Michael Carrick’s side going forward this season and while Middlesbrough fans should be excited, Liverpool mainstay Robertson has urged them to air on the side of caution.
He said: “I ain’t gonna put any pressure on the wee man, I love Doaky. I’ve got a lot of time for him. I can see the quality he’s got at Liverpool. He’s obviously gone out on loan now to Middlesbrough which will give him so much good experience.
“He’s a hungry individual, he’s very determined to do the best for himself and the team and that’s important. He’s exciting, but we have to be careful. He’s a young player, he needs to gain experience, he needs to work on things, but the quality he does have is very good and I think he will have a fantastic career at whatever level that may be.
“I also think he will have a good international career but it’s important we are patient with him, it’s important that we see him grow, and let him grow. Sometimes we get on top of young players far too quickly and we need to let them grow, be excited, and not get too carried away. I think he’ll be an amazing player for Scotland.”
John McGinn reveals what Ben Doak will bring to Middlesbrough
Robertson isn’t the only one amongst the Scotland seniors to be impressed by Doak, with national team captain John McGinn impressed by his attitude away from the pitch, as well as on it.
“It’s not just Ben’s ability but his character as well,” McGinn explained.
“He cheered me up last night. We were touching on the Euros and he said, ‘aye, if I stayed fit it might have been different!’ “That’s just his character and it’s brilliant. He’s got a lot of confidence, he’s a good laugh and he’s fitted in well. I think everyone’s aware of his ability and he’s certainly something different to what we’ve got.
“Even in training, he’s so explosive. Sheer pace, power, strength. It’s certainly something we’ve been missing over the past couple of seasons. He’s definitely going to bring something different there and hopefully we can see. He’ll definitely get supporters off their seats.”