Bajcetic and Doak Named in GOAL’s NXGN List

GOAL have named Liverpool FC’s Stefan Bajcetic and Ben Doak on their annual list of the 50 best wonderkids in football, the NXGN list.

Here’s what they had to say about young Stefan:

With Liverpool’s midfield crying out for an injection of energy and quality this season, Bajcetic stepped up in a big way to become almost an automatic selection for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

The 18-year-old, whom the Reds beat Manchester United to sign from Celta Vigo in December 2020, has shown an ability to combine excellent defensive instincts with a confidence in possession that belies his lack of experience.

Mohamed Salah recently labelled Bajcetic as Liverpool’s “best player” during their difficult run around the turn of the year, and despite having suffered a season-ending injury, it would now be a surprise were he to lose his place in the team next season, even once the planned summer overhaul of the squad is complete.

And for Ben Doak:

Hailed as a “natural force” by Jurgen Klopp, Doak has wasted little time in making an impact at Liverpool having joined the Reds from Celtic in a £600,000 deal over the summer.

The 17-year-old winger, who has been likened to Wayne Rooney due to his aggression and physicality when in possession, has already become the youngest Scot to appear in the Premier League and is an U21 international.

Though he currently has the likes of Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz ahead of him in the pecking order at Anfield, it won’t be long before Doak is pushing Liverpool’s established forwards for a starting berth.

There is much change on the horizon at Liverpool, but the future’s certainly looking bright with both Bajcetic and Doak as key building blocks for the immediate future.