BEN DOAK is the boy Premier League clubs want to sign, and the one no left-back wants to face.
The Scottish winger, 19, has torn up the Championship since joining Middlesbrough on a season-long loan from Liverpool.
Although it is not just about second-string full-backs, he has left bewildered and confused.
Doak's direct style is a throwback to the wing wonders of old, and has caused problems for some of the biggest names on the international stage.
His raw pace and direct dribbling style proved a major annoyance for Portugal's Joao Cancelo, but it was two games for Scotland against Josko Gvardiol that really caught the eye.
Especially when Manchester City's £77m full-back was left stunned as Croatia lost 1-0 at Hampden in November.
Time and again, Doak switched to turbocharging, causing Gvardiol to spin and chase shadows, shooting past him as the Tartan army pursued their late objective.
After that night as the biggest tormentor and a month in which he shared the field with legendary names such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric, the teenager gave insight into his way of thinking.
Doak said: “I don't see any faces in the park, I just see a cat and a blank face.
“I don't pay attention to reputations. I just believe that if I'm good enough to be on the field, I can compete against whoever I am.”
Before we look at who wants him now, let's rewind ten years to when a nine-year-old Doak scored NINE goals in two seven-a-side matches for Ayr United's U11s against Hamilton Academicals.
Celtic talent spotter Jim Began was watching that day and it wasn't long before he was part of the academy at the Scottish giants.
A few years later, a future Premier League manager was able to throw him in at the deep end without hesitation.
Just weeks after his 16th birthday, Ange Postecoglou handed him a debut with Celtic, who he had joined as a schoolboy after his time at Ayr United, in January 2022.
Another appearance off the bench in the Scottish Premier League followed, but things soon turned sour at Parkhead after it emerged he had agreed to join Liverpool that summer, with Celtic receiving just £600,000 compensation. He is now said to be worth more than 40 times that amount.
It didn't take long for him to start making his mark at Anfield.
Doak became the sixth youngest player to play for the Reds when he came off the bench against Derby in the Carabao Cup and followed that by signing his first professional contract five days later, when he turned 17.
Disaster strikes
He made nine more appearances and gained Europa League experience under Jurgen Klopp last season, until disaster struck.
His campaign came to an abrupt end when he underwent knee surgery in December.
Doak fought back but both he and Liverpool, who knew they were potentially looking for someone to take over for Mo Salah on the right this summer, agreed he now needed regular action.
He had almost the entire Championship and a handful of Premier League teams to choose from, but in the end he chose Michael Carrick's Middlesbrough.
And it's a decision that has benefited both, even though it's a relationship that may not last long.
Doak has played an important role in Boro's promotion to fifth place. He scored his first two professional goals and provided six assists. His impact even surprised Carrick.
In November, Riverside's boss said: “It's everything you want. In terms of the level (it has been reached) it is very difficult to imagine anything happening so quickly.
“There's no way around it, Ben is having a great time at the moment. He plays good football and looks dangerous.
“The opportunity for him to come and play here and be part of the squad, he's clearly confident. We know his strengths, it's quite clear what he's good at and he's brought that with him to Scotland. ”
Carrick continued: “He is another threat to most. He is quite direct and does not have many tricks and skills, but he has the characteristic of being low with his center of gravity. He is direct and often finds himself in that position.”
Of course, there are still things that can be improved, and one of them will certainly be his finishing, especially in one-on-one scenarios. He could score at least five goals for Boro.
But all the ingredients are there for something special if he can improve on those performances, and that has led to Carrick's worst nightmare: a horde of Premier League teams trying to sign the star this month.
Liverpool, who have a recall clause, rejected offers from Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town for £15 million last week.
Brentford and Leicester are also in the hunt for the livewire and there are increasing rumors that a £25m offer could be enough to tempt the Reds into selling.
Doak seemed undeterred by all the talk as he produced his final assist to beat Emmanuel Latte Lath in the 1-1 draw against Cardiff on Saturday.
Afterwards, Boro teammate Dan Barlaser said: “It's huge [to keep our best players]. We want to keep all our best players and get some help.
“Ben has been incredible, especially for the age he is.”
And even though he has no control over it, Carrick also refuses to panic.
He said: “Loans are loans, that's how it is. As far as the situation goes, this is exactly where we are. He (Doak) played, looked dangerous and created a goal. It is what it is. From our point of view nothing has changed. I'm pretty calm about it.
“He played well in periods and looked very dangerous. I'm not worried about that. January can bring different things.
“Sometimes you can keep players and sometimes you can lose players or teams will come for your players, that's just the way it is.
“Everyone is important, but we knew the situation going into it.”
For now, the level-headed Doak will just focus on his game and will likely have exactly the same mentality he had before Christmas when he said: “I just love playing football.
“I had a tough period due to an injury. So you can imagine how frustrating that was. It's great to be able to play again.”
And the biggest decision facing Liverpool is whether they take the money or hang on to him to see if he can be molded to eventually take over from their talisman Mo Salah.
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