Ben Doak was pinned to the touchline and a defender was breathing down his neck. He got the ball in the net.
It was a goal that came out of nowhere. There was a drop of the shoulder. There is a dart in the box and it glides past three shirts. A curling finish into the far corner with the outside of the boot.
In the Uefa Youth League, the seven- goal thriller was settled by the strike. It made sense that Doak is the most exciting Scottish attacking talent in a long time.
If you speak to anyone who has worked with or seen the 17-year-old, they will tell you that he is dynamic. The child is special.
"He's a really lively boy, smart player, good dribbler, fast, can use both legs," said the manager after Doak's debut. A lot of things are normal to him.
Despite just 40 minutes of top-team action, Doak's story has been compared to that of Rooney and Sterling by the Scottish Broadcasting Corporation.
Doak swapped the Scottish champion for the English club in the summer. It looks like the compensation fee is a good deal.
The wonder kid in the academy was the winger. He was drafted into the B team at the age of 16 after playing for the Under 18s.
An invitation came to train with the first team. The players named him 'Wazza', a nod to the stocky teenager's resemblance to a young Wayne Rooney, according to the story.
The club's second youngest player of all time was 16 years and two months old when Doak made his first team debut in January.
Doak came on for the final few minutes of the derby win over Rangers that sent Celtic top of the table. He stood out because of his pocket rocket charging at defenders.
How did Doak, a Celtic fan, end up choosing to pursue a different career path? McNamara was a Celtic and Scotland full-back.
McNamara thinks that the Old Firm game might have swung it. Show the kid that you're going to keep him and that he's not behind other players. The Civil Service Strollers are in the B team.
He was bombarded for tickets to the Old Firm game because he lived in Ayrshire. He stopped using his phone. He was only 16 years old. He didn't want to stay, I asked what he was thinking.
When Ben went to visit, he was told he had seen something. He was made to feel welcomed immediately.
After Doak's exposure, there was a lot of interest from clubs, according to Tommy McIntyre.
McIntyre saysCeltic tried to keep him. He was given the chance to perform on the big stage, but he chose not to.
He was thought of a lot. I couldn't bring him to the B team earlier as he needed to be 16.
Before Ange took him up to the first team, he wasn't with me much. When he gets the ball, he's so direct, that he gets fans off their seats. He has a trick and is fast. He is able to get past people and create chances.
Doak has a good work ethic and temperament. McIntyre remembers a quiet child who was transformed into a fearless competitor when he stepped on the field.
It's a great attribute to have for a young person.
He approached things in a way that was amazing. He has a winning mentality and you could see it in his play. He was a pleasure to work with.
In the 74th minute of the EFL Cup win over Derby County, Doak came on as a substitute.
The fans were talking about Doak's impact on his brief debut, which included a game-high three dribbles. John Gibbons was one of the people who were impressed.
Young players can be a bit overawed when they come on for their first game. Sometimes they step up and do a good job. Sometimes someone will go, "Look at me." The Ben Doak show will be made. He is a special player.
I haven't seen someone do that in a long time, the last one ITrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkia,Trademarkia,Trademarkia,Trademarkia,Trademarkia,Trademarkia,Trademarkia,Trademarkia,Trademarkia,Trademarkia,Trademarkia,Trademarkia,Trademarkia,Trademarkia At the end of the season, there was a substitute performance by sterling.
Within five days of his debut, Doak made the bench for the game and signed his first professional contract.
He was given time to recover from his injury and then he got to work. There was no stopping him.
He has played for the Reds at three different levels, scoring eight times and providing six assists.
Doak has hit his stride in Europe with the Under-19s. He had four goals and four assists in six games as the Reds finished top of a group that also included Rangers.
He has been quickly tracked at international level. After missing the Under 17 Euro finals through injury, he was elevated to the Under-21s and took all of eight minutes to score his first goal.
Doak has said that he needs to improve his all-round game, especially in defensive aspects.
There's no guarantee he'll make the grade atLiverpool, where a lot of other prospects have fallen by the wayside. The potential is there. He could benefit from a period of change at the football club.
The pathway to the first team is a good example for him to look at, and he can learn a lot from them.
The manger is a big believer in giving youth a chance, so you think there will be more opportunities for him next season.
If Doak's potential is realised, how good would he be? Are Scotland's superstars in the making?
McNamara says that he is a Scottish Rooney. I told Ange I had never seen anything like Ben.
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