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‘Natural force’: Jurgen Klopp blown away by 17-year-old Liverpool player

Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images
Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images
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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has raved about Ben Doak on the club’s official website after his performance against AC Milan.

Premier League club Liverpool got the better of Serie A outfit AC Milan 4-1 in the Dubai Super Cup on Friday.

Uruguay international striker Darwin Nunez, who played at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, scored twice after coming on as a substitute.

Egypt international forward Mohamed Salah and Spanish midfielder Thiago were also on the scoresheet for Liverpool.

As stated on Liverpool’s official website, ‘tournament rules meant a penalty shootout followed full-time, with Milan prevailing 4-3 to claim an extra point’.

Doak, who can operate as a winger or as a full-back, came on as a substitute for Salah in the 83d minute.

The 17-year-old provided the cross that Nunez tapped in from close range for his second goal of the evening.

And Liverpool manager Klopp was impressed.

Ben Doak liverpool klopp
Photo by Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

Jurgen Klopp on Ben Doak after Liverpool win v AC Milan

Klopp said: “And, of course, when you bring on the kids [in the] second half and you see the pass from Bobby Clark and the whole performance from Stefan, the performance from Mel as a right full-back and then Ben Doak comes on, 17 years old, and is this kind of natural force, it’s really cool to see.”

Exciting

In our opinion, Ben Doak is a very exciting young player, and it must be very encouraging for the teenager to see Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp publicly praise him.

Again.

It was only last week when Klopp described the teenager, who joined from Celtic in the summer of 2022, as “really promising”.

Doak has made one appearance in the Carabao Cup for the Reds so far this season.

The teenager could well get a few more chances in the first team at Liverpool in the second half of the campaign.