Last summer, Stefan Bajcetic made a glorious breakthrough in Jurgen Klopp’s squad ahead of a stirring first season with the Liverpool first-team.
The youngster was only 17-years-old at the time and would go on to make 19 appearances in all competitions.
During this time, Bajcetic would score his first goal for the senior side in a 3-1 victory over Aston Villa on Boxing Day.
Aged just 18 years and 65 days, this meant he was the third-youngest player to score for Liverpool in the Premier League after Michael Owen and Raheem Sterling. He is also the second-youngest Spaniard to score in the English top flight, only behind Cesc Fabregas.
There will be many other Liverpool academy graduates hoping to emulate Bajcetic’s impressive journey to the first team, especially with the club's homegrown player dilemma in the Premier League.
This year in pre-season, the next sparkling prodigy on course for a breakout year is Ben Doak.
Who is Ben Doak?
The Scotsman signed for Liverpool in March 2022 and his debut for the club in November of that year, coming on as a substitute in an eventual penalty shoot-out victory over Derby County at Anfield.
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Later that month, Doak signed his first professional contract for the Merseyside outfit and made his league debut in December and became the youngest Scottish player to appear in the Premier League.
Across 27 appearances for the club’s youth sides, the 17-year-old has registered 19 goal contributions. More recently, Doak netted his first senior goal for Liverpool in a friendly against Leicester City.
How good is Ben Doak?
Evan Fairns, Doak’s former coach at Celtic, has eulogised his limitless potential, saying:
“He was like a wee rocket. His ability was quite raw but he had this physical presence, that is how he could compete and play up front. He was fearless on the park.
“In training, he was just a sponge. He was very quiet and would always listen. He would turn up to training and even though he was the youngest, there was no carry-on from him — he was there to train and to learn. He was a delight to coach.”
Doak’s esteemed reputation means is well-positioned to replicate what Bajcetic has achieved in red.
The young midfielder spent seven years with the Celta Vigo academy, where youth football co-ordinator Alex Otero raved over his accomplished quality, saying:
“He has amazing physical characteristics. He is extremely quick, makes good recoveries, has a great spring, is really impressive in the air and carries the ball cleanly out of defence.
“It was clear he was a standout player in his age group. He can really play and help construct attacks but he is also noticeable for his comfort with his left and right foot and the ability to play on the right or left of the centre-backs. That is quite rare.”
He has evolved into a box-to-box midfield enforcer, whose nimble frame, mixed with stunning athleticism and cultured technique meant he has emphatically impressed the Anfield faithful.
Last campaign, long-term injuries to Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota halted Liverpool’s progress, but the eye-catching rise of Doak can provide Klopp with a new dynamic in attack, especially considering how quickly his Spanish academy teammate has hit the ground running amongst the German's first-team plans.
There may be more competition for places out wide in the Reds' senior side but Doak, given the evidence above, could be the next Melwood talent to make a name for himself at Anfield.