Celtic are back from the international break, and one of the headlines during the window became Scotland’s two victories over Croatia and Poland in the Nations League.
Anthony Ralston was the only Bhoy to participate for the Tartan Army under Steve Clarke, with Greg Taylor an unused substitute across their final League A matches.
Last Friday, Ralston hailed Scotland starlet Ben Doak’s ‘excellent’ showing vs Croatia after his recent series of displays, which has elevated him to take up a role as a nailed-on starter for his national side.
Hailing from the Celtic Academy, Middlesbrough loanee Doak is widely regarded as the most promising rising Scottish star, mixing his explosive pace and ability to burn past defenders with minimal difficulty.
Despite this, Andy Walker feels Doak still has room for improvement and believes the 18-year-old should use one of Brendan Rodgers’ main men as a template to follow.
Andy Walker on Ben Doak taking inspiration from Nicolas Kuhn
Speaking on the Go Radio Football Show, Walker believes Doak should take inspiration from Nicolas Kuhn’s work at Celtic to sharpen his end product in promising attacking scenarios.
He explained: “I think you can still ask a bit more of him. As exciting as he is, I think there were a couple of times, one in the first half and one in the second half, where with a better first touch, he could’ve got the ball out from his feet and could’ve had a go himself rather than trying to set one of his teammates up.
“I think that’s what he can improve. He’s a wide player; he lays on chances. I’ve seen him do it numerous times at Middlesbrough this season. I think he can add goals to his game because he can get himself into a position where he’s having a shot at goal.
“It is something he should be thinking of. Can I get six goals? As soon as he gets six goals, can I get ten? You see the improvement in someone like Nicolas Kuhn when you spoke to a lot of Celtic supporters last season. They thought he was just okay; he was just average.
“Look at him now, he’s fit, he’s firing on all cylinders, he’s sharp, he’s getting assists, that’s what you should be doing as a wide player. Not just the assist, trying to chip in with some goals yourself and really making a name for yourself.”
Nicolas Kuhn once again on the end of high praise
Truth be told, there are a lot of wingers that could learn from the fearlessness Kuhn has shown on the right-hand side for Celtic this season. He is simply playing without a care in the world.
Ten goals and 11 assists in 17 appearances back up the hype, which has catapulted the Bhoys winger into Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann’s thoughts.
Whether Doak could take anything from Kuhn’s game is open for debate. Both are excellent to watch, and Celtic have played a big part in shaping their flourishing careers.
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