Andy Robertson will have been gutted not to have been involved in the celebration as his Scotland side qualified for Euro 2024 on Sunday night without having to play a game. Spain beating Norway was enough to secure the Liverpool full-back’s nation a place at the tournament taking place next summer.
However, Robertson was not in the national team camp, having traveled back to Liverpool after picking up a shoulder injury against Spain earlier that week. He’s undoubtedly played a key role in the qualification process and as the captain of his country, he will be immensely proud of the achievement.
There is one Liverpool player though who could be involved in any potential celebrations taking place tomorrow night when Scotland faces France in a friendly fixture for the first time since securing a place at the championship. There have been rumors, as reported by The Scotsman, that Ben Doak has a chance of being called up to the senior squad for that fixture.
Scotland’s senior national team boss, Steve Clarke, was in attendance to watch Doak impress against Hungary’s U21 side last week, and the Liverpool youngster definitely made a strong case for himself. Over the summer, while training in pre-season, Jürgen Klopp was caught by LFCTV cameras being in awe of Doak’s talent and describing Robertson and the Liverpool youngster as the ‘present and future of Scotland.’
That is still very much the case months later. Doak is making very positive strides at Liverpool and is gradually being given more responsibility in the first team, which he is handling well. Not quite as dominant as he had been in pre-season, but with time the youngster will get there.
A call-up to the Scottish national team would be a very significant recognition of his talent. If he was to play against France or potentially get a call-up in November, Doak would become the youngest player to debut for the national team since Hughie Wilson in 1885. It would make him Scotland’s second youngest player of all time, and the youngest to play for the national team in the 20th and 21st century.
Time will tell whether Clarke will give Doak the nod, but if he continues to make appearances in the first team and catches the eye as he has done ever since arriving at Liverpool, it’s inevitable that eventually the 17-year-old will get the nod. With Scotland having now qualified for the European Championships, there is even a possibility that Doak could join Robertson in the squad by the time the tournament rolls around.
Given his quality, you wouldn’t rule it out. However, there is still a lot of football to be played until then. For now, Doak just needs to keep doing what he has been doing, making a case for himself in training with Liverpool’s first team and catching the eye for Scotland’s U21s side. Everything else will come with time.
