The calls arrived thick and fast.
From the Championship to League One, League Two and up in Scotland, each manager, sporting director and club representative had a different spiel that eventually ended up with the same question: Is Ben Doak available?
It’s no exaggeration to say that Doak, still only 17 years old, was, and still is, one of Liverpool’s most-wanted youngsters this summer.
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His form for the under-18s and under-21s last season drew lots of scouts to watch him play and provide feedback to their respective clubs. Many of those clubs hoped the Scot would be available for a loan this month as Liverpool, with their wealth of riches up front, mapped out a development plan for their talented teenage attacker.
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But Doak’s blistering form in training — and his eye-catching displays in pre-season — have increased his chances of playing a part in the Premier League this year.
Named in the squad for the 1-1 draw at Chelsea, Doak came off the bench for the final 13 minutes to take a frustrated Mohamed Salah’s place in attack.
It was his sixth appearance since moving from Celtic for £600,000 ($757,000) in March 2022 but perhaps his most important yet.
This was a clear sign that he’s ready to make an impact this season, and while the calls will no doubt continue as the transfer window draws to a close, the answer is expected to be the same as it has been all summer — he’s staying put.
Doak is a right-footed attacker who plays without fear. He twists and turns defenders inside out and has a strong ability to put opponents on the back foot.
A year in the youth development programme at Liverpool has helped him prepare for a crack at the first team.
There’s a clear difference in his physique now and he’s armed with more of the tools that manager Jurgen Klopp is looking for in his forwards.
When questioned about the decision to take off Salah and throw on the youngster with the game at Chelsea evenly poised at 1-1, Klopp said it was all about “fresh legs” and increasing the intensity.
Liverpool had already turned to Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones. Doak, alongside Harvey Elliott, was the next option.
In entering the game, he became only the second Liverpool player to feature on the first day of a Premier League season before turning 18. The other was Michael Owen — and this won’t be the last time the two players are mentioned in the same conversation.
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Klopp spoke only briefly about Doak after the game and referred to him almost as a wildcard because of his unknown qualities, but the coaching staff know all about his skill set.
What’s so refreshing about his style is that he has an exciting, unpredictable edge that can sometimes be coached out of kids as they move into their adult years.
Doak has so much natural talent that staff have worked on ways to improve his all-round performance without sacrificing any of his unique skills.
A full pre-season has also helped. Last year, he was carrying an injury when he joined and was always playing catch-up. This summer, by contrast, he was able to rest up and hit the ground running, first at a training camp in Germany where the players were put through their paces in a series of training drills.
Klopp made sure this year that any long-distance overseas plans, like the subsequent trip to Singapore, arrived later into the summer where more of the focus was on shape and tactical analysis.
Doak scored in the 4-0 friendly win over Leicester City, adding to his tally in both the under-21 and under-18 teams last season when he scored 10 goals and provided eight assists over 26 games in all competitions.
He continued to train with the team ahead of the trip to Stamford Bridge and learned of his place in the matchday squad at the end of the week.
With Salah, Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo all getting the nod in the attacking positions, Doak sat on the bench alongside fellow forward Nunez and attacking midfielder Elliott, waiting for the call.
When he was introduced, he didn’t look out of place, immediately closing down Levi Colwill to dispossess the Chelsea defender.
Klopp said his arrival brought a “new energy”. He moved the ball around nicely and looked to stretch the defence.
Yet, while it’s clear he’s not going to be taking Salah’s place on the right side of the attack any time soon, his standing within the team is certainly growing. To be introduced with so much still riding on the game highlighted that.
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So what happens next?
A number of youngsters have already left Anfield on loan this summer and others will follow. Doak, though, is unlikely to be one of those. He’s on the verge of an unusual route into the first team, one where he arrived at the club as a 16-year-old but developed so quickly that a loan move was not needed.
Celtic were so keen to keep Doak at the club that he was introduced in an Old Firm game against Rangers in February 2022 to show how much faith they had in him. A clear pathway had been mapped out — but the lure of Liverpool proved too great.
With the club’s Europa League campaign starting next month, there will be opportunities for younger players.
Having a player with Doak’s grace and poise could be a useful weapon, especially as Trent Alexander-Arnold, the new vice-captain and the poster boy for youth development at Liverpool, spoke about the opportunity for players to step up and be counted following the exits of experienced players.
“If you’ve got quality and the right attitude, then that’s all it takes,” Alexander-Arnold said on Sunday. Doak ticks both boxes, and his future looks bright.