Ben Doak's 'problem' that saw him leave Celtic for Liverpool broken down by agent as £30m question finally answered

The winger left Celtic Park in 2022 and has impressed for Liverpool and Middlesbrough south of the border

Rising star Ben Doak left Celtic because he did not want to spend any more time in the Lowland League.

That is according to to his agent Jackie McNamara - who lifted the lid on January interest from Crystal Palace in the Liverpool wonderkid. The Scotland international is in the midst of an impressive season on loan at Middlesbrough - chipping in with three goals and seven goals for Michael Carrick's men as they push for the English Championship playoff spots.

However, things could have been very different for the 19-year-old after he came through the Celtic youth ranks. After making two first-team appearances under Ange Postecoglou, Doak would call time on his Hoops' career for a switch to the Premier League heavyweights in 2022. Speaking to Open Goal about his relationship with the forward and his Parkhead departure, McNamara said: "I went to watch him at 15.

"I went away to watch him at Scotland 17s but everybody was trying to get him, then I’d signed with him, he signed with us and Celtic were trying to get him to extend and stay. Ange (Postecoglou) had put him in a couple of times and if he’d have kept him in the first-team. The problem is if you’re not in the first-team they need something in between that to get the boys to go out.

“No disrespect to the Lowland League but when you’re at a certain level it’s stimulation, you need to go and play and be tested so there’s somewhere else boys can go if they’re not in the first-team. I think if they kept him in at that point he might’ve wanted to stay.

“He’s injured just now but I think he’s special. I watched him away with Scotland and he’s got it, he’s special.”

Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town showed interest in bringing Doak in permanently from Anfield in January - with reports suggesting the London outfit had lodged a blockbuster £30million bid before the curtain came down on the winter window. But McNamara explained: “Did Crystal Palace put in a £30million bid? No. They put a bid in for him but not as much.”