Ben Doak

Ben Doak

Personal information
Full name	Ben Gannon Doak [1]
Date of birth	(2005-11-11) 11 November 2005 (age 19)
Place of birth	Dalry, Scotland [2]
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.76 m) [3]
Position(s)	Right winger, attacking midfielder
Team information
Current team	Middlesbrough (on loan from Liverpool)
Number	50
Youth career
	Dalry Rovers
	Ayr United
	Celtic
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2021–2022	Celtic	2	(0)
2022–	Liverpool	3	(0)
2024–	→ Middlesbrough (loan)	23	(3)
International career‡
2019	Scotland U16	3	(0)
2021–2022	Scotland U17	6	(4)
2022–	Scotland U21	7	(2)
2024–	Scotland	6	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:49, 21 January 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:15, 18 November 2024 (UTC)

Ben Gannon Doak (born 11 November 2005) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a right winger or attacking midfielder for EFL Championship club Middlesbrough, on loan from Premier League club Liverpool, and the Scotland national team.

Club career

Doak began his career at hometown club Dalry Rovers, before moving to Ayr United and then onto Celtic. ^[4]

Celtic

On 26 December 2021, having turned 16 the previous month, Doak was named on the bench for Celtic's 3–1 win away to St Johnstone. ^[5] On 29 January 2022, he made his Celtic debut, coming on as a 68th minute substitute in a 1–0 Scottish Premiership win against Dundee United. ^[6]

Liverpool

Doak signed with Premier League club Liverpool in March 2022, with Celtic due to receive training compensation of around £600,000. ^[7] On 9 November 2022, Doak made his debut for Liverpool when he came on as a 74th minute substitute in a 3–2 penalty shoot-out win against Derby County in the third round of the 2022–23 EFL Cup at Anfield. ^[8] Five days later, he signed his first professional contract with Liverpool, having reached the age of 17. ^{[9] [10]} Doak made his league debut for Liverpool on 26 December in a 3–1 win at Aston Villa, becoming the youngest Scottish player to appear in the Premier League. ^[11]

On 30 July 2023, Doak scored his first senior goal for Liverpool in a pre-season friendly match against Leicester City, with his side winning 4–0 at the Singapore National Stadium. ^[12] In December 2023, he was longlisted for the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year Award. ^[13] He missed most of the 2023–24 season after he underwent knee surgery in December. ^[14]

Loan to Middlesbrough

On 30 August 2024, Doak joined EFL Championship side Middlesbrough on a season-long loan. ^[15] On 28 September, he made his first start for the club and scored his first competitive senior career goal in a 2–0 win over Stoke City. ^[16]

After registering five assists in as many games in November 2024 he won the EFL Young Player of the Month award. ^[17]

International career

On 2 September 2021, after previously representing the under-16s, Doak made his debut for Scotland U17, scoring in a 1–1 draw against Wales. ^[18] He helped the U17 team qualify for the 2022 UEFA European Under-17 Championship, but missed the tournament due to injury. ^[19]

Doak was included in the under-21 squad for the first time in September 2022, aged 16. ^[20] He made his debut as a substitute on 22 September 2022 against Northern Ireland and scored within seven minutes; in doing so, he became the youngest ever goalscorer for the Scotland U21s. ^{[21] [22]}

In May 2024, Doak was called up to the senior side for the first time, as part of their provisional squad for UEFA Euro 2024. ^[14] On 4 June, he was forced to withdraw from the squad due to injury. ^[23]

Doak made his senior international debut on 5 September 2024, coming on as a substitute in a 3–2 defeat to Poland. ^[24]

Personal life

His grandfather Martin Doak (1964–2024) was also a footballer, ^[25] having made more than 300 appearances across two spells for Greenock Morton. ^{[26] [27] [28]}

Career statistics

As of match played 21 January 2025 ^[29]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National Cup		League Cup		Europe		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Celtic	2021–22 [30]	Scottish Premiership	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
Liverpool	2022–23 [31]	Premier League	2	0	2	0	1	0	0	0	5	0
	2023–24 [32]	Premier League	1	0	0	0	1	0	3 [a]	0	5	0
	Total		3	0	2	0	2	0	3	0	10	0
Middlesbrough (loan)	2024–25	Championship	23	3	0	0	—		—		23	3
Career total			28	3	2	0	2	0	3	0	35	3

1. Appearances in UEFA Europa League

Honours

Celtic F.C.

• Scottish Premiership: 2021–22

Individual

• EFL Young Player of the Month: November 2024 ^[17]

References

1. "2023/24 Premier League squad lists". Premier League. 13 September 2023. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
2. "Garnock Valley: Friends are united for Under 17 Scotland squad". Adrossan & Saltcoats Herald. 21 September 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
3. "Ben Doak: Profile". worldfootball.net. HEIM:SPIEL. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
4. "Ben Doak: Former Dalry Rovers footballer makes debut for Celtic". Adrossan & Saltcoats Herald. 12 February 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
5. "St Johnstone 1–3 Celtic". BBC Sport. 26 December 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
6. "Celtic 1–0 Dundee United". BBC Sport. 29 January 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
7. May, Sam (31 March 2022). "KOP CAPTURE Liverpool beat Leeds to signing of 16-year-old Celtic starlet Ben Doak for compensation fee of around £600,000". Talksport. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
8. "Kelleher's shootout saves see Liverpool scrape past Derby in Carabao Cup". The Guardian. 9 November 2022. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
9. "Liverpool hand Ben Doak his first professional contract - five days after debut aged 16". BBC Sport. 14 November 2022. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
10. Cassidy, Peter (14 November 2022). "Scotland under-21 star Ben Doak signs first pro deal with Liverpool". STV Sport. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
11. Poole, Harry (26 December 2022). "Stefan Bajcetic: The 'cheeky' teenager and his 'Christmas story'". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
12. "'It's a great feeling' – Bobby Clark and Ben Doak react to first senior goals - Liverpool FC". Liverpool F.C. 31 July 2023. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
13. "BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year 2023 top three revealed". BBC Media Centre. 1 December 2023. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
14. "Liverpool's Doak gives 'something different' to Scots". BBC Sport. 22 May 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
15. "Middlesbrough sign Ben Doak from Liverpool on season-long loan". BBC Sport. 30 August 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
16. "WATCH: Liverpool winger just scored his FIRST EVER club goal". Yahoo Sports. 28 September 2024. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
17. "Ben Doak wins EFL Young Player of the Month award - Liverpool FC". www.liverpoolfc.com. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
18. "Ben Doak". Scottish Football Association. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
19. "Ben Doak misses out on Scotland squad for UEFA Under-17 Championship". BBC Sport. 29 April 2022. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
20. "Liverpool teenager Ben Doak one of 11 new faces in Scotland Under-21 squad". BBC Sport. 8 September 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
21. "Under-21 international: Liverpool teenager Ben Doak scores as Scotland beat NI 3–1 in Belfast". BBC Sport. 22 September 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
22. "'Phenomenal talent' – Liverpool fans rave about Ben Doak as teenager scores on Scotland U21 debut". Liverpool Echo. 22 September 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
23. "Conway called up by Scotland as Doak drops out". BBC Sport. 4 June 2024. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
24. English, Tom (5 September 2024). "'Scotland's capacity for self-sabotage delivers fresh horror'". BBC Sport. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
25. Egerton, Nathan (1 April 2022). "'Unbelievable talent', All you need to know on Liverpool bound Ben Doak". Planet Football. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
26. (Morton player) Doak, Martin, FitbaStats. Retrieved 3 January 2023
27. Martin Doak, Post War English & Scottish Football League A - Z Player's Transfer Database. Retrieved 3 January 2023
28. Lochrie, Susan (20 August 2024). "Morton legend Martin Doak who is Ben Doak's grandfather dies". Greenock Telegraph . Retrieved 8 September 2024.
29. Ben Doak at Soccerway. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
30. "Games played by Ben Doak in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
31. "Games played by Ben Doak in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
32. "Games played by Ben Doak in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 September 2023.

External links

• Profile at the Liverpool F.C. website
• Ben Doak at the Scottish Football Association
• Ben Doak – UEFA competition record ( archive )