Liverpool have two of the finest young players in the Championship
Two of Liverpool’s best young stars are continuing to impress in the Championship with more dazzling displays this weekend. Lewis Koumas struck a goal inside six minutes as Stoke City let a lead slip to lose 2-1 to Sunderland on Saturday. It was Koumas’ fourth of the season since joining the Potters on loan in the summer.
The 19-year-old has become a regular starter for Stoke, playing on either flank for Narcis Pelach’s side and has impressed despite their five matches without a win in the Championship.
And he’s not alone in becoming one of Liverpool’s most outstanding young players in the division, with Ben Doak now proving to be one of the brightest talents at that level for Middlesbrough.
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After a surprise loan move away from Anfield in the summer, the 19-year-old is enjoying a season of real growth. He is now a regular starter for Middlesbrough and is one of their best outlets on the wing. He’s found the back of the net once but has racked up five assists as Michael Carrick’s side have climbed to fourth in the table. The teenager has also become a regular for Scotland.
Doak was in good form on Friday night as Boro battled to a 1-1 draw with Burnley and almost scored one of the goals of the season with a barely believable mazy run to beat three defenders. Picking the ball up on the right touchline, he dribbled his way past the hapless Burnley players and into the box before dragging a left-foot shot just wide.
It was just another example of the youngster’s immense potential and it’s fair to say that Doak has left journalists and fans in the north east hugely impressed with his displays.
Indeed, Middlesbrough reporter Craig Johns recently told the ECHO that Carrick has been thrilled with the impact Doak is having on his side’s promotion push.
He said: “Given how well he’s playing and how much attention is on him, Carrick is asked often about Doak and is running out of superlatives for the star. He is naturally delighted with Doak’s performances and the impact he’s having, though it always comes with the caveat of protection towards a young player.
“Carrick being the kind of personality he is, he’s never going to go overboard and put any unnecessary pressure on his shoulders.”
He added: “In Michael Carrick he has a great coach who has proven his ability at developing younger players and, as detailed above, the growth he’s showing as a result of playing regularly is clear to see. Not yet ready to play for Liverpool, in my opinion, the alternative is perhaps looking for a lower-end Premier League role.
“It’s a risk for Liverpool in that he loses that risk of guaranteed game-time, goes somewhere where he has to integrate to a new team and area again, and also enters an environment which may not be as welcoming or conducive to development as Boro is right now. For that reason, Boro are hopeful Liverpool will agree that Boro is the best place for him to be.”
