Celtic facing losing battle to sign up 16-year-old with first team appearances

Celtic appear to have lost the battle to secure the future of Ben Doak. 

The winger turned 16 in November and found himself listed as a substitute for the December 26 match at St Johnstone before he had even started a match in the Lowland League for the Celtic B team. 

Doak was given his top team debut when he was thrown into the 1-0 win over Dundee United at the end of January then made another appearance off the bench in the Glasgow derby four days later. 

Since then he has dropped out of the top team squad, failing to make the trip to Bodo Glint in the Europa Conference as Ange Postecoglou fielded a shadow team. 

Celtic’s Academy has been unable to fend off interest from elsewhere in their top talents with The Athletic reporting: 

Liverpool are closing in on signing exciting teenage winger Ben Doak from Celtic’s academy. Doak, who only turned 16 in November, has yet to sign a professional contract with Celtic, and so his boyhood club would only be due minor compensation if the move concludes. 

Celtic, who have already lost a number of their brightest academy prospects to Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Liverpool in recent years, have tried to entice Doak to stay, with manager Ange Postecoglou handing him first-team minutes in high-pressure games against Dundee United and Rangers. 

This was an attempt to turn platitudes into action and communicate a tangible first-team pathway to the young player. 

However, the draw of one of Europe’s elite, with a pedigree for developing and promoting young players under Jurgen Klopp, seems to have proved too powerful. 

Doak had attracted attention from a number of top clubs but The Athletic understands that the prospect of working with Klopp was pivotal in his decision. 

Celtic have been able to use the same regulations to recruit Moussa Dembele, Armstrong Oko-Flex and Tobi Oluwayemi. 

Last season Liverpool signed Liam Hughes from Celtic with the goalkeeper currently on loan at Stallybridge Celtic.

Although Celtic seem likely to play in next season’s Lowland League there is no real structure or pathway in place to take players from the Academy into first team football.