Ben Doak is eager to return to the field after resuming full training following his knee surgery in December, with his sights set on securing a spot in Scotland's squad for Euro 2024.
Doak has been sidelined from football since his MCL surgery last year, yet he remains in Scotland's provisional team for Euro 2024.
This highlights the confidence in the 18-year-old's skills as a potential key player for the tournament in Germany, although his inclusion in the final squad is not confirmed.
His immediate goal is to leave a mark in the upcoming friendlies against Gibraltar (Monday) and Finland (Friday), signaling his comeback from a lengthy injury.
In a Scotland national team YouTube channel interview, Doak shared details about his recovery process. "I was training solo for some time, eager to rejoin the team, but the physiotherapists advised me to be patient and wait until I'm fully ready," he said.
"I returned to training in the last week of the season, and after two or three weeks, I'm feeling fantastic. I'm really looking forward to playing again."
Doak also mentioned his progress before the injury: "I had played quite a few matches for the first team and had started to make my mark."
Breaking into the squad was a challenge for young players at that time. As the season progressed, the young talents at Liverpool began to shine, scoring goals intermittently, which was hard to watch from the sidelines. My injury forced me to dismiss the Euros from my thoughts, not anticipating a recovery in time, yet here I stand.
The prospect of joining the final squad became a mixed blessing when Lyndon Dykes was sidelined from the Euros due to a training injury.
With only one more player to be dropped from the 27 in training, Manager Steve Clarke might consider calling up U21s forward Tommy Conway.
Doak is poised to secure his spot for Germany, crediting his significant growth to the five appearances with Liverpool this past season.
"The Europa League was instrumental," he mused.
"My journey began with the League Cup, where I performed well, followed by a few Europa League matches with decent showings.
"A couple of performances were just average, but they taught me the rigors of playing in Europe.
"It's more challenging than anticipated, but such experiences only serve to enhance one's skills. Overall, it was an invaluable learning opportunity and a chance to accumulate some playtime."
Nations must submit their final squads for Euro 2024 by June 7.
