‘He said…’ – Ben Doak shares what Arne Slot told him about Middlesbrough prior to loan move

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Empire of the Kop

·30 septembre 2024

‘He said…’ – Ben Doak shares what Arne Slot told him about Middlesbrough prior to loan move

Ben Doak has spoken of how a recommendation from Arne Slot steered him towards his loan move to Middlesbrough.

The Liverpool youngster is spending the season at the Riverside Stadium as he seeks to gain regular first-team exposure, and his first start for the Teesside club on Saturday yielded his first goal as he netted in their 2-0 victory over Stoke.

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Speaking after that match, the 18-year-old revealed how the Anfield head coach gave his firm approval to Michael Carrick’s team as a temporary destination for the Scottish teenager.

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Doak said (via Liverpool Echo): “I went on the pre-season tour with Liverpool, had a good time, got some minutes for the first time since my injury last year and I think I made a good impression before the injury, so I had a few clubs with eyes on me.

“The club helped me pick as well and I watched a few Boro games and I knew a few of the lads here. I didn’t think there was a much better place than the Boro, especially to be honest the amount they have the ball on the right-hand side and the team just naturally caters to my game.

“The club (Liverpool) helps you narrow it down, then you speak to the gaffers and then just pick the team that takes your fancy and Arne Slot obviously approved of the choice. He said Michael’s team play really good football; he’s got the team playing really well.”

Even before Liverpool signed Federico Chiesa in the last week of August, Doak was realistically going to struggle for regular game-time in a stacked Reds attack, so it made perfect sense to loan him to a club in the Championship where he’d benefit from playing every week.

While the 18-year-old had to be content with a couple of substitute appearances for Middlesbrough before his start against Stoke on Saturday, his scoring impact should hopefully provide a platform for him to become one of the first names on Carrick’s team sheet.

Although Isaiah Jones has been Boro’s most-used option on the right wing so far this season, he still hasn’t netted in nine outings, whereas the Scottish teenager needed less than 100 minutes on the pitch for the Teessiders to get off the mark.

Middlesbrough have been in and around the Championship play-off positions for the past four years and are currently eighth, leaving them well-primed for another potential promotion charge, and that’d appear to be the perfect enviornment for Doak to prove himself to Liverpool in the long-term.

Although Fabio Carvalho’s impressive loan spell at Hull in similar circumstances last season (pushing for promotion with Hull) didn’t salvage his Anfield career, hopefully the young Scot can use his time at the Riverside as a springboard towards becoming a first-team stalwart for the Reds.

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