Owen Beck blushes at Celtic transfer interest but Dundee star focused on nailing Liverpool spot in post Klopp era
Beck was a target for Celtic and Rangers but the Dundee loanee only has his eyes on one thing long-term.
Owen Beck admits it was flattering to be wanted by Celtic - but insists his long-term goal is to Kop a top-team slot at Liverpool.
The Scottish champions wanted to buy the left-back last month after the Reds recalled him from his initial loan spell at Dundee. But Jurgen Klopp killed off their hopes when he handed Beck his Liverpool debut against Bournemouth, which meant the youngster had played for two teams and couldn’t turn out for a third this season.
Liverpool were always reluctant to sell the Welsh Under-21 cap but with Andy Robertson now back fit they have given him the green light to return to Dundee for the second half of the season. Beck said: “People speak about interest from other clubs but I try to focus on the club I’m playing for. That’s not really my job to listen to who is interested in me. I was happy at Liverpool but when the opportunity to come back to Dundee was there it was a no-brainer. It’s nice if teams are interested in you, it’s a positive thing.
“It’s down to me playing well in the first half of the season. I’m looking to replicate that in the second half. The long-term aim is to try to make it at Liverpool.”
The 21-year-old admits it was special pulling on that red shirt for the first time. Beck added: “Making my Liverpool debut was something I’d dreamed of since I was a kid. It’s the team I grew up supporting and to make it for the team I supported, while they’re at the top of the league, I couldn’t have dreamed that.
“Konstantinos Tsimikas got injured, Robertson was injured and there was a space that opened up for me. Overall I was happy with how it went.”
Beck was thankful to Klopp for giving his debut but it will be the next Liverpool manager he has to impress. He said: “It’s sad that Klopp is leaving, it’s a tough one to take for everyone at Liverpool. He’s done a brilliant job.When we were sitting on the bench it was just positional advice he was giving me.”
The youngster had firmly established himself as a favourite in the Dark Blue of Dundee and didn’t have to be asked twice when he got the option to return to Dens Park. He said: “It was always a case of seeing how Robertson and Tsimikas got on. You just have to go from there. If one of them had not been fit then it would have been a different story. But I’m here back in Dundee and I’m happy about it.
“I’ll be honest, there were a lot of things going through my head and I didn’t think this would be one of them. But the opportunity arose and I couldn’t be happier.”
Beck reckons he owes a debt to Tony Docherty for helping him produce the best form of his career and now wants Dundee to kick on and cement their place in the top six.
He said: “There are a couple of new players and the manager has done a great job. We have a real squad in place but I don’t think we’re in a situation where we can talk about where we are going to finish or anything like that.
“It’s just about trying to win every game we play. The manager was a big factor for me. After the season I had last year, not many managers would have taken the gamble on me.
“But Tony gave me a platform to play and he’s given me his trust from the moment I walked through the door. That’s a massive thing for me and I need to repay him with my performances for Dundee. His trust has propelled me to success.”