Former Scotland defender Steven Caldwell has faith in Ben Doak's potential, predicting he'll be challenging for a spot at Liverpool and shining for Scotland for years on end.
Currently impressing on loan at Middlesbrough, Doak will remain at the Riverside Stadium aiding Michael Carrick's quest for promotion until season's end, despite interest from other clubs last month. Liverpool rejected bids from Ipswich Town and Crystal Palace - setting a hefty £30 million ($37.3 million) valuation on him - quashing any moves away from Middlesbrough.
With the recall deadline surpassed, no further action can be taken this term. Caldwell appreciates Doak's talent and acknowledges the difficulty of breaking into Liverpool's squad but sees his strong performance at Middlesbrough making him attractive to other top-flight teams should Liverpool opt to sell.
Caldwell shared with RG his view on Doak: "It's pretty high [his ceiling]. It's going to be tough to break through at Liverpool, but he's doing excellently at Middlesbrough and will certainly be fancied by a lot of Premier League teams if Liverpool decide to let him go.
"I think Liverpool have high hopes and will give him a chance in the first team after this loan spell. It's been a great season, and he's establishing himself in the Scotland side. He's different, he's quick, he's exciting. He's a player that we don't necessarily have in the Scotland squad. He's going to keep getting better and working hard... I'm super excited to see where his career takes him."
Doak made his professional debut for Celtic in January 2022, aged just 16. He was signed by Liverpool later that year and has since played 10 times for the first team, having missed a large chunk of last season with a knee injury. The youngster's loan spell at Championship side Middlesbrough is his first opportunity to play consistent first-team soccer.
Doak has scored three goals and provided seven assists in 24 Championship games this season, having nailed down a spot in the starting XI. He made his senior debut for Scotland last September and has earned six caps to date.