Michael Carrick offers update on Ben Doak and says Liverpool wonderkid's being targeted

Liverpool wonderkid Ben Doak has impressed connected indebtedness astatine Championship broadside Middlesbrough truthful acold this play and manager Michael Carrick believes helium is present being specifically targeted by absorption teams

Middlesbrough brag Michael Carrick believes on-loan Liverpool prima Ben Doak is being targeted aft a drawstring of awesome performances.

Doak joined Middlesbrough implicit the summer, with the 19-year-old challenged to footwear connected aft a superior genu wounded saw him sidelined for the bulk of past season. And the winger has impressed successful the Championship, helping Middlesbrough ascent up to 5th successful the table.

He starred successful his side's 6-2 thrashing of Oxford connected Saturday, having helped Scotland prime up Nations League wins implicit Croatia and Poland earlier successful the week. However, Doak was wiped retired against Oxford by a mediocre tackle from Elliott Moore which earned Middlesbrough a penalty.

And Carrick is expecting Doak to beryllium connected the receiving extremity of much large challenges arsenic the play progresses, with the winger present a "marked man". Speaking aft the game, the erstwhile Manchester United midfielder said: "Ben is going to beryllium a marked antheral present and he's going to person to woody with it.

"I thought it wasn't a large tackle connected him for the punishment – it could person been a reddish paper – but I'm not going to kick astir it. But luckily he's each right. We cognize what the lad is susceptible of and it's exciting, there's nary getting distant from it.

"It's conscionable truly enjoyable watching the squad execute astatine the moment, seeing them explicit themselves and getting their rewards for it. Ben Doak's playing truly well."

Carrick has antecedently waxed lyrical astir Doak's performances truthful acold this season, telling BBC Radio Tees up of the Oxford clash: "It's everything you want. In presumption of the level (he's reached), it's precise hard to envision thing happening truthful quickly.

"There's nary getting distant from it, Ben's having a truly bully clip of it astatine the moment. He's playing immoderate bully shot and looking dangerous.‌ The accidental for him to travel present and play and beryllium portion of the squad - he's evidently confident.

"We cognize his strengths, it's beauteous evident what he's bully astatine and he's taken that connected to Scotland arsenic well. We're truly pleased with him, but for america it doesn't alteration anything. It's a agelong play truthful we're surely not getting carried distant but it's large to spot him thriving astatine the moment.

"Then evidently going to Scotland and having an interaction for them, it's fantastic for Ben and large for america that he's with america and playing truthful well.‌ We person inactive got to beryllium careful, he's inactive young, we person got to negociate him and preparing him for going though the full season."

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