After the disappointment of the Euros, Scotland fans wanted to see something fresh, new and different, especially in attack. It has arrived in the form of Ben Doak.
Last summer in Germany, Scotland brought the party to the stands, but lacked any real edge. They scored just twice before exiting the group stage – and once was an own goal. There was a great dependence on talisman John McGinn, not only in terms of finishing but also in terms of creativity.
Now Steve Clarke has found his answer. This past week, McGinn found the net twice in two big moments for Scotland – and both were put on the board by 19-year-old Doak. It feels like an important step for this team.
In Warsaw, Doak and McGinn needed just three minutes to combine on Monday evening, but the danger for Poland did not stop there. Four minutes later, Doak was at it again and almost set up another goal for Lyndon Dykes.
Doak and Dykes would combine in another missed opportunity later in the half, before the former had a run-and-shot blocked by Polish goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski. The teenage winger tired in the second half before coming off the pitch, but he left the pitch with his reputation as fresh as ever.
“He is a threat, very direct and he attacks defenders,” manager Steve Clarke said after the win over Poland. “Having been a full-back myself, a winger who attacks you like that makes it difficult for defenders. He brings us something different.”
“I saw him primarily as a youngster at Celtic. What impressed me was his end product: making a pass, dribbling or trying to get a shot,” former Scotland striker Steven Naismith told Sky Sports News on Tuesday.
“We've seen that in the last two games. And that's why he's getting the assists. But his overall performance is top level.”
But it was perhaps Doak's display last Friday evening, under the lights of Hampden Park, that was even more impressive. Mainly because of the sheer amount of damage Doak inflicted on Croatian full-back Josko Gvardiol.
The Manchester City left-back struggled all night to deal with the talented young winger, including being on the wrong end of a quick twist and turn that went viral on social media.
It ended with Doak taking on Gvardiol one last time before, as in Poland three days later, crossing for McGinn to score. Not bad for someone who turned 19 last week.
“Once you get on the field, I don't see any names or faces,” Doak said after the match against Croatia. “I just see that another team is trying to beat us, so we have to beat them. When I have the ball, I don't notice who I'm playing against. It's just a kit.”
Grabbing the ball and running at defenders is the name of Doak's game this season. He is also impressive at club level in that regard.
Only Vinicius Jr and Bradley Barcola (Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain respectively) have introduced the ball into the opponent's penalty area more often than Middlesbrough's Doak, on loan from Liverpool.
The hidden context of that statistic, however, is that Doak has played 300 fewer minutes than Vinicius and Barcola this season. No player in Europe takes the ball, runs with it and delivers it to good areas as often and as regularly as this talented Scottish teenager.
Intriguingly, Doak is ahead of Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah on this list, raising the question of whether the next stage in the Scottish winger's progression is reaching Arne Slot's first team – especially with doubts over Salah's own future at Anfield .
One player who could help that move is Scotland captain Andy Robertson, also of Liverpool, who is “always on Doaky just because of the Liverpool connection.
“I just enjoy following him and trying to get the best out of him,” Robertson added before the game against Poland.
“The little guy is flying and doing so well, which is great to see. He has a bright future ahead of him.”
So clever that Doak will probably one day replace McGinn as Scotland's talisman. Many are already wondering what would have happened at the European Championships last summer if Doak had not withdrawn from Scotland's provisional squad due to injury.
Doak is a player who likes the ball at his feet with space to run into. He could have the world at his feet and attack for the rest of his career.
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