Liverpool don’t reconvene for pre-season training until next week, but one Reds player is already putting in the hard yards as he seeks to advance his career over the next 12 months.
Ben Doak was one of numerous youngsters who had a loan spell away from Anfield last term, enjoying plenty of first-team action at Middlesbrough before his campaign was cruelly cut short by a thigh injury at the start of February.
The 19-year-old is clearly determined to make up for lost time, judging by footage which was shared on social media today.
Doak already putting in extra training ahead of pre-season
On Monday, a 44-second video clip was uploaded to Kilwinning Community Sports Club‘s Facebook profile which shows the Liverpool forward being put through his paces at the venue.
The footage shows Doak undergoing dribbling and shooting drills under the watchful eye of coach Jack Haggerty from Empire Elite Performance, with the teenager going back to the place where he carried out work experience when he was younger.
The voice of KCSC development officer Colin Hunter can be heard in the video, joking about a ‘potential new signing’ in the Scotland international before adding ‘not for 10 or 15 years at least’ as he welcomed the presence of the Reds attacker.
Could Doak get a few opportunities at Liverpool next season?
Doak had broken into his country’s senior side over the past year, with the Liverpool starlet being praised by BBC writer Tom English for an ‘electrifying‘ performance in a 1-0 win over Croatia last November, but unfortunately the aforementioned season-ending injury stunted his progress.
He had been linked with a shock move to Everton earlier this month (Sky Sports), and although those eyebrow-raising rumours have since dissipated, it’s quite possible that he could go out on loan once again in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, he’ll be eyeing an opportunity to impress Arne Slot in pre-season, and the Reds’ head coach will surely be pleased to see the teenager already hard at work before the squad reconvenes at the AXA Training Centre next week.
Amid ongoing speculation over Federico Chiesa’s future, and with Mo Salah set to miss the festive period due to Egypt’s involvement at the Africa Cup of Nations, there could actually be an opening for Doak at Liverpool in 2025/26 if he were to remain on Merseyside.
The likelier scenario is that he’s loaned out again, but whatever the next couple of months might have in store for him, it’s great to see his dedication coming to the fore as he gears up for what’ll hopefully be another productive season for the youngster!
You can check out the footage of Doak in training below, via Kilwinning Community Sports Club on Facebook:
