ONE-TIME Celtic teenage wonderboy Ben Gannon-Doak must improve his finishing skills, according to Scotland boss Steve Clarke.
The winger was only 16 years old when he was lured from Parkhead to Liverpool in March 2022 with the champions receiving only a training compensation fee of £600,000 for their top prospect.
However, Gannon-Doak failed to impress at Anfield and was loaned to Middlesbrough before Bournemouth paid an initial £20million for him in the summer in a deal that has an additional £5million depending on first-team appearances.
ON THE BALL…Ben Gannon-Doak displays his tricks to baffle two Belarus defenders.
So far the winger has had only two outings for the south coast outfit, but Clarke has kept faith in the flanker who will celebrate his 20th birthday next month.
Gannon-Doak was hooked just before the hour mark as the Scots toiled to their 3-1 comeback win over Greece at Hampden on Thursday and he lasted until the 88th minute before being replaced in the frustrating 2-1 triumph over pointless Belarus last night.
His dribbling skills were eye-catching, but his final delivery was disappointing with a his team-mates left frustrated when he continually took the wrong option.
The Scots still edged closer to the World Cup Finals next summer with their stumbling display against the Group C minnows.
Goals from Che Adams and Scott McTominay gave Clarke’s men a second successive win, but the manager was far from satisfied.
OFF TARGET…Ben Gannon-Doak slams a shot into the sidenet.
Looking at the contribution from Gannon-Doak, the international chief told the Daily Record: “He didn’t get the last little bit right that could have helped us get an earlier second goal.
“For Ben, it’s a process. He’s a young player who doesn’t play that often at his club and hasn’t had a lot of football at this level.
“He has to learn and understand the game.
“In key moments, when he wriggles free and has pace to get in behind defences, he has to pick out the last pass.”
