Liverpool loanee Ben Doak sets exciting Middlesbrough challenge after impressive full debut

Ben Doak of Middlesbrough celebrates scoring
-Credit: (Image: Greig Cowie/REX/Shutterstock)


Ben Doak has set himself an exciting Middlesbrough challenge after impressing in his first start for the club.

The Liverpool loanee marked his full debut with a goal and an eye-catching man-of-the-match performance in Saturday's 2-0 victory over Stoke City. And he's now set himself the challenge of performing at such a consistent level that Michael Carrick is unable to take him out of the side.

The game was Doak's first competitive start for some time, as he suffered a serious knee injury last December. He replaced Isaiah Jones in the team, with the Boro wide man out of form of late. An example of the benefit of competition for places, Doak made sure to raise his game and take his opportunity with both hands.

READ MORE: Why Michael Carrick feels Middlesbrough is the perfect place for Liverpool loanee Ben Doak

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The onus will be on Jones now to work his way back into the reckoning, while Boro have even more competition on the right side of attack. Marcus Forss is back in training and will be hoping to quickly regain his place in Carrick's side once he's back into the swing of things.

But speaking to the media after the Stoke game while sporting an ice pack over his knee, Doak said: "It's just a little knock and looking after myself. I want to make sure I can play in the next game, and the one after that and the one after that!

"I really enjoyed myself, my first start in the league, first start in a few months after missing a lot at the end of last season, so no better feeling than my first start and topping that off with a goal. It’s great to be in the starting XI. Obviously it’s what you work for all your life - to be playing at a high level and starting games.

"Hopefully my performances warrant more starts in the future. I want to play as many games as possible, play as best I can and try get better. If I can help get the team high up the table, that’s they way it goes. If I don’t, that’s the way it goes, but I’ll come away with a lot of valuable experiences.

"I’m going to give my best this season and try be the best player I can. You never know. I can just take confidence from this game, keep working hard in training, keep doing what I do and hopefully the goals and assists will come naturally."

Providing the knock the his knee isn't too serious, Doak will be a good bet to stay in the Boro team on Tuesday evening as they travel to West Brom. He helped make Boro a much more threatening side in attack with his pace and confidence helping him beat his man time and time again on Saturday.

"It’s just my game and it’s what I’ve been good at ever since I was younger," he said. "So I just feel I need to do whatever got me here in the first place. Take people on a try, get the team in a good position to score and be there when things fall your way, you need to keep getting in there.

"It might not come every time but today it came and I got the rewards from it. I felt at home out there, loved it, especially the first-half and getting a goal, no better feeling. I can’t be complacent of course, there’s a lot of good players chomping at the bit on the bench, so I just need to keep working hard and try to keep my place."