Video: 'Excellent' Liverpool youngster copies Ben Doak and scores Championship screamer for first ever goal
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Liverpool enjoyed a good evening on Tuesday as they continued their perfect record in this season’s Champions League.
The Reds secured their qualification as one of the top eight teams in the League Phase and need just a point next week at PSV Eindhoven to nail down first place.
But just as Liverpool were doing the business at Anfield, it also turned out to be a great night for a couple of their on-loan academy stars.
Ben Doak scored a superb goal to put the cherry on Middlesbrough’s win over West Brom at the Riverside.
Doak has been sensational this season and has certainly been the pick of Liverpool’s loan army.
But as well as the Scottish talent, left-back Calum Scanlon also got himself on the scoresheet on Tuesday. The 19-year-old hammered in a first ever professional goal during Millwall’s 2-2 draw with Cardiff.
Calum Scanlon fires first ever senior goal
It has been a hugely frustrating season for Scanlon during his first loan move away from Liverpool.
The teenager had a good start at Millwall, with then manager Neil Harris praising Scanlon’s versatility.
But injury soon got in the way, and the full-back had to return to Liverpool to receive treatment on an injury sustained in mid-September.
Scanlon only re-joined Millwall this month, making just his second appearance of the season during Saturday’s 1-0 loss against Hull.
The Liverpool man started that game in a more attacking role than usual and did so again during Tuesday evening’s visit of Cardiff.
And playing a little higher up the pitch, it took Scanlon less than two minutes to open the scoring at The Den. Bursting forward into the box, the former Birmingham youngster blasted an unstoppable effort into the roof of the net to score his first goal ever in men’s football.
Scanlon hailed for ‘breathtaking’ goal
Had it not been for his ill-timed injury, more people would certainly be talking about Scanlon this season.
He actually did well when given a chance or two in the Liverpool first-team by Jurgen Klopp last year. There is certainly a talent in there. Now hopefully back to full fitness, Scanlon is beginning to show that he too may have a future at Anfield.
“What a finish!” raved the Sky Sports commentator after watching him lash the ball home on Tuesday. “That’s an absolutely breathtaking strike!”
That came off the back of praise for Scanlon on Saturday, when manager Alex Neil hailed the youngster’s first step back from injury. “I thought he was excellent," Neil said via Southwark News. "He's athletic, he's technical, he can handle the ball.”
If Scanlon can now put a run of games together and finish the season strongly, he will start to look like another option in what has become a problem left-back position for Arne Slot. Well in, Calum!
