Even Steve Clarke cannot help himself any more. Scotland’s manager spent months warning a football nation to temper excitement around Ben Doak. Friday evening’s starring role for the 19-year-old as Scotland defeated Croatia, where in one outrageous first-half moment he bamboozled the £77m Josko Gvardiol, led Clarke to drop his guard. “Ben is a young player that we need to protect and look after,” he said. “But I realise he is good for now and hopefully for a long time in the future.” In other words: I will continue to pick him.
Clarke had been correct to douse the noise around Doak, a player who had turned heads long before he departed Celtic for Liverpool in 2022. Scottish inability to produce anything like an acceptable number of elite, game-ready young footballers means the public latch on to any potential star. Far more fall by the wayside than justify the hype. For every Billy Gilmour, there are umpteen Oliver Burkes. Holding out for heroes has meant outlandish exaggeration.
Doak no longer needs protection. It is inconceivable Scotland will not turn to him again in Poland on Monday when a win could deliver huge reward. Clarke started John McGinn, a modern-day icon in Scotland colours, on the bench against Croatia yet picked Doak. Few nations would balk at playing a forward of his age when that individual can command regular club football. Doak’s move on loan from Liverpool to Middlesbrough has been significant in respect of first-team exposure in a physically demanding league. There is no justifiable reason to continue to handle him with kid gloves.
Doak has searing pace and a direct style that appeals to the paying punter. What you see is what you get. His working-class roots are a welcome antidote to the sense football has become overpriced or unappealing to that group in society. Supporters can relate to Doak’s personality and approach to the game. But he is also hugely effective; Gvardiol looked terrified at times in Glasgow. Scotland have no other attacking outlet of Doak’s ilk, which matters for a country light on scoring options. It makes sense to stick with him, not least because he is playing with supreme confidence.
Doak’s journey at Liverpool looked promising until the serious knee injury which curtailed his 2023-24 season. Jürgen Klopp was a fan. Arne Slot’s arrival and that loan move suggested Doak may fall by the wayside at Anfield. Mohamed Salah’s future and Liverpool’s requirement for wide forwards beyond May is pertinent here. So, clearly, is how profitable Doak’s loan ends up being. Even if he needs to move permanently to kickstart his career, he need only look at Gilmour’s example. From peripheral at Chelsea, the midfielder starred at Brighton and finds himself at the peak of Serie A with Napoli.
A Scotland victory in Warsaw, coupled with Portugal seeing off Croatia, could place Clarke’s team in uncharted territory (the permutations attached to that are for Carl Friedrich Gauss). Scotland could compete in a Nations League quarter-final and be in the top pot for the World Cup qualifying draw. If this seems remarkable for a side who have won two of their past 17 fixtures, it is the latest example of Clarke raising the status of his country to a point only his biggest detractors ignore. Scotland now play for serious prizes while inevitably suffering hard times along the way. If Uefa wants to sell the success of the Nations League as a concept, Scotland offer case in point.
Should results not fall in Scotland’s favour, relegation to Group B of the Nations League is a potential outcome. Some argue this would do Clarke a favour, given he could improve on win statistics by managing his country against teams of a more equal standing. The 61-year-old admirably rails against this notion, insisting Scotland will develop only by testing themselves against blue-chip teams. Clarke’s theory is backed up by visible improvement since the summer Euros and a tame exit on a grim night in Stuttgart. This links to Doak; Liverpool will note what he is doing against the cream of European international football.
McGinn stepped from among the substitutes to crack home the winner against Croatia. It was a wonderful moment for a player who has seemed to feel the weight of a Scotland jersey in recent times. It was not the Aston Villa midfielder’s name on the lips of everyone in attendance, though. It was Doak’s. When the phlegmatic Clarke is almost giddy, the direction of travel feels obvious.
