Celtic have been the foundation of many great players’ senior footballing careers, but some stay longer than others in Glasgow’s east end.
Back in 2022, Scotland international Ben Doak briefly burst onto the scene at the Bhoys, making Scottish Premiership appearances against Dundee United and Rangers before leaving to join Premier League giants Liverpool.
Despite signs of a viable pathway at Celtic, the Ayrshire-born winger elected to head south of the border with designs on making the grade at Anfield.
Making ten appearances in the Liverpool first-team, the 18-year-old is now on loan at Middlesbrough for the remainder of the campaign and opened his senior account against Stoke City last month.
In the summer, there were tentative rumours that Celtic were looking to bring Doak back to the club on a loan basis. However, they turned out to be nothing more than links; it would’ve been hard to imagine any such deal coming to fruition.
Now looking to make an impression in the Scotland fold, he has opened up on opting to leave the Bhoys for Liverpool two-and-a-half years ago.
Ben Doak opens up on leaving Celtic for Liverpool
Speaking ahead of Scotland’s Nations League clash against Croatia, Doak admitted that the chance to play and train at an ‘elite level’ was the main motivation behind his decision to leave Celtic.
He stated via The Daily Record on Youtube: “I wasn’t really thinking about playing with Scotland at that point (when Doak left Celtic for Liverpool).
“To be honest, I felt like that was the right move at the time to go down south and go and play and train at an elite level.
“Everyone knows how good the Liverpool squad has been and how they are doing currently. They’re top of the league, so I didn’t see any cons to going there.”
Celtic’s steps to retain youth talent in the future
The lure of Premier League academies will always prove too much for some youngsters at Celtic; it is, unfortunately, part and parcel of the modern-day game.
Brexit regulations have made Scotland a hotbed for talent for clubs south of the border, so there are more or less always eyes on the latest talents coming through so what have the Bhoys done to stop this from happening in the future?
In the summer, Celtic confirmed a series of key academy appointments. Darren O’Dea moved into a new capacity as Professional Player Pathway Manager. Meanwhile, Stephen McManus is taking the B Team this season alongside Jonny Hayes, who has returned to the club as an assistant coach.
The Young Hoops sit three points off top spot in the Lowland League, and the Bhoys defeated Slovan Bratislava in UEFA Youth League action, so there is quantifiable progress to be seen.
Adam Asghar was brought in as Under-18 head coach, and Chris Hendry is providing support while working with the group. Hopefully, a refresh behind the scenes can help to keep talent at Lennoxtown.
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