‘Really dangerous’ - Pep Lijnders hails three ‘new’ Liverpool signings ahead of Man City clash

Pep Lijnders heaped praise on Ben Doak as the Liverpool youngster could be braced for his latest first-team outing.

The 17-year-old has made a huge impact since arriving from Celtic in the summer transfer window. Doak has scored eight goals in 15 games at under-18, under-19 and under-21 level.

That saw him make his Reds debut in last month’s Carabao Cup defeat of Derby County on penalties - in which he was electric off the bench. Doak then signed a professional contract at Anfield before joining Jurgen Klopp’s men on for the training camp in Dubai during the break for the World Cup.

Liverpool prepare to face Manchester City in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup tonight. In the past, Klopp has used the earlier stages of the competition to give fledgling talents opportunities - but the hiatus may see the Reds boss change his approach with the Premier League restarting on Boxing Day.

Still, Doak - along with fellow teenagers Stefan Bajcetic and Bobby Clark - has been impressing in training as they await their next opportunity. And Lijnders believes the trio feel like new signings.

What’s been said

Assistant manager Lijnders said: “Yesterday I walked off the pitch, we trained, the session was insane - really cool. And I walk off the pitch with Jurgen and he does a whisper and he just says next to me: ‘Wow, Stefan and Bobby Clark, they play so mature. They play as if they are 25’. And I say immediately: ‘Ben Doak, can you imagine if he was a signing? If he would do this, what he is doing in this session?’

“You all see, he’s very quick, but if you are very quick and technical. That makes a really dangerous player and he learns as well really quick. That’s really nice to see because sometimes you can be really quick and really good with your feet but if you don’t learn team. You need good players, but the collective in the end makes you successful so that has to work. But he adapts really quickly to our style and we are just really happy with three young signings.

“Then I have to make a compliment to Matt Newbury because he is our academy scout and he brings these players in. Nobody hears about them before and it’s not announced as a big signing like everybody. But the boys he brings in, it’s not easy because the boy leaves Celtic, goes to a different part [of the world], Liverpool.

“Or Stefan, who goes from Celta Vigo to here, they leave their country and leave their family. They come really young in our academy, so for the next ones to come hopefully that helps as well that we want to give these boys chances and Ben is just - I like that combination of speed, mentality and technique [and] he has all three.”