{"id":411423,"date":"2025-09-09T21:20:16","date_gmt":"2025-09-09T21:20:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/411423\/"},"modified":"2025-09-09T21:20:16","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T21:20:16","slug":"scotland-have-found-their-x-factor-gannon-doak-is-a-blur-of-brilliance-and-hes-only-going-to-get-better","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/411423\/","title":{"rendered":"Scotland have found their X-Factor. Gannon Doak is a blur of brilliance… and he’s only going to get better!"},"content":{"rendered":"

You could have heard a pin drop inside the ZTE Arena in Zalaegerszeg\u00a0on Monday night.<\/p>\n

Every screech, squeal, instruction, insult and plea was amplified by the eerie silence. Even on a good night for Scotland, there was a reminder of how uninviting football matches without fans can be.<\/p>\n

At half-time, you were tempted to strain your ears and listen for the sounds of despair coming from the Belarus dressing room.<\/p>\n

Sergei Karpovic would have been forgiven if he\u2019d been reduced to a quivering wreck by what we\u2019d just witnessed. Forty-five minutes facing Ben Gannon-Doak can do that to a man.<\/p>\n

The full-back didn\u2019t even take the field for the second half. A beaten man, Vadim Pigas took his spot. Pigas might well have made his excuses and handed the dubious privilege to another.<\/p>\n

Belarus could have assigned half their side to mark the Scotland forward out of the game and you\u2019d still have backed him to find a way.<\/p>\n

\"Gannon <\/p>\n

Gannon Doak turn on the style for Scotland in their 2-0 World Cup qualifying win over Belarus<\/p>\n

\"Steve <\/p>\n

Steve Clarke was pleased with his performance after he helped open up the Belarus defence<\/p>\n

They tried crowding him out and they tried clipping his ankles. They tried standing off him then they tried breathing down his neck.<\/p>\n

Each time he disappeared in a cloud of smoke, those in red jerseys looked like they\u2019d fallen for a magic trick.<\/p>\n

Gannon-Doak didn\u2019t score his first Scotland goal, but his contribution was hard to understate.<\/p>\n

When he finally traipsed off with 16 minutes to go, Belarus must have felt like they\u2019d been granted mercy. They\u2019ll already be dreading a reunion at Hampden\u00a0on October 12.<\/p>\n

The beauty from Steve Clarke\u2019s point of view? Bournemouth\u2019s \u00a325million man isn\u2019t even close to being the finished article.<\/p>\n

There was a moment during Monday\u2019s match when he took one touch too many for Andy Robertson\u2019s liking and eventually the ball was turned over. The 19-year-old knew all about it. The chances are the lesson will have been learned.<\/p>\n

Such imperfections in one so young are only natural. Between Celtic, Liverpool and Middlesbrough, he\u2019s not yet made 40 appearances. He\u2019s learning as he goes.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s hard not to be captivated by what he already is; A blur of brilliance who makes defenders look like mannequins. A generational talent who can go as far in the game as he wants to.<\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

The Belarus defenders did everything in their power to try to stop Gannon Doak<\/p>\n

\"Gannon <\/p>\n

Gannon Doak appears to be wise for his age, as well, and can only get better<\/p>\n

For so long Scotland looked enviously at the X-factor other nations possessed. Even with room for improvement, the Ayrshireman is already ours.<\/p>\n

The most encouraging thing is that there\u2019s a recognition of the need to kick-on. Those young shoulders have a wise head on them.<\/p>\n

\u2018It comes from moving from a club like Liverpool where I was around a certain calibre of player,\u2019 he explained<\/p>\n

\u2018You learn that you\u2019ve got a long way to go in the game. You learn about the level that\u2019s required to be a world class player when you see the guys in that squad.<\/p>\n

\u2018I don\u2019t even have to name the names. It has shown me that I\u2019ve got such a long way to go.\u2019<\/p>\n

He needs no one to tell him that he\u2019s the blue-eyed boy of the Tartan Army. This is sensibly dealt with.<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s brilliant to feel that from the fans, but I don\u2019t look at social media,\u2019 he stressed.<\/p>\n

\u2018Because it can very easily go the other way. Fans can get on to you, I\u2019ve seen it with other players.<\/p>\n

\"Vadim <\/p>\n

Vadim Pigas (left) was brought on at half-time to try to contain Gannon Doak<\/p>\n

\u2018I try to never get too high or too low. I don\u2019t want to let the praise or stick affect me.<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s about keeping my head in the game, that\u2019s all you can do. I don\u2019t really feel the pressure. I don\u2019t look at all that stuff.<\/p>\n

\u2018I fell into that trap before when I was a bit younger and it can really take its toll on you.<\/p>\n

\u2018I\u2019ve learned not to look at it and enjoy what I\u2019m doing. I\u2019ve been playing football since I was four or five years old. I\u2019m getting to do what I love.\u2019<\/p>\n

He\u2019s come a long way from kicking ball about in the streets of Dalry, but the journey has not resulted in an inflated ego.<\/p>\n

It was instructive to hear his response when his first-half destruction of Karpovic was mentioned.<\/p>\n

\u2018Their full-back got subbed at half-time, of course,\u2019 he said. \u2018But I got subbed at half-time on my Bournemouth debut so what does that tell you?<\/p>\n

\u2018You can get taken off for any number of reasons. So, I don\u2019t look too much into it. It\u2019s all about my own game.\u2019<\/p>\n

After a productive loan spell with Championship Boro, the hope is that the forward will now be let loose on the Premier League\u2019s finest.<\/p>\n

\u2018You can talk about how to improve your decision making all you want, but the only way to do that is by playing games,\u2019 he added.<\/p>\n

\u2018The more and more you play, the more situations arise. If you get one wrong, you need to think in your head – the next time that happens, I\u2019m going to do this or that.<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s just a matter of experience.\u2019<\/p>\n

This extends to the inevitable disappointments. One arrived in Copenhagen on Friday. His exclusion from the starting line-up couldn\u2019t have been easy to fathom.<\/p>\n

\u2018I\u2019m always disappointed not to play a game of football,\u2019 he reflected.<\/p>\n

\u2018But the gaffer is the gaffer. It\u2019s his decision. He spoke to me, along with the rest of the staff.<\/p>\n

\u2018I felt good in training before the Denmark game, but I understood the decision. Even if I don\u2019t understand it, I have to accept it.\u2019<\/p>\n

Injury prevented Clarke from taking Gannon-Doak to the Euros and there will always be a niggling feeling that the story of woe might have been different if he\u2019d been on board.<\/p>\n

His presence at the outset of the World Cup qualifying campaign has certainly added to the sense that the good times may be returning.<\/p>\n

For so long, Clarke\u2019s side looked to be burdened by how it all played out in Germany, but key individuals look to have rediscovered their mojos.<\/p>\n

Between a point taken in Denmark and the ticking off a dangerous assignment in Hungary, it\u2019s been an encouraging start. Beat Greece and Belarus next month and qualification will be in our grasp.<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s been a good camp overall, getting four points,\u2019 Gannon-Doak reflected.<\/p>\n

\u2018We enjoyed last night, but we\u2019ll now go back to our clubs, get down to business, and get ready for next month.<\/p>\n

\u2018I just want to go back to Bournemouth now and get more minutes.<\/p>\n

\u2018If I do that at club level, I\u2019ll come back for Scotland even sharper and who knows what might happen? Maybe we could get to the World Cup.\u2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"You could have heard a pin drop inside the ZTE Arena in Zalaegerszeg\u00a0on Monday night. Every screech, squeal,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":411424,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5009],"tags":[1111,180,748,92,94,4884,179,712,53672,93,16,15,1514],"class_list":{"0":"post-411423","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-scotland","8":"tag-belarus","9":"tag-bournemouth","10":"tag-britain","11":"tag-dailymail","12":"tag-football","13":"tag-great-britain","14":"tag-liverpool","15":"tag-scotland","16":"tag-scotland-football","17":"tag-sport","18":"tag-uk","19":"tag-united-kingdom","20":"tag-world-cup"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115176435082122496","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/411423","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=411423"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/411423\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/411424"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=411423"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=411423"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=411423"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}