This is Pablo Longoria’s new surprise target. As we confirmed to you, OM is working behind the scenes on the signing of the Scottish full-back, Josh Doig, from Hellas Verona, currently 18th in Serie A. According to our information, the Marseillais are discussing and exchanging with the Italian club, which is open to its departure if possible in the form of a sale. For the moment, the Olympians have not yet made an official offer, but the two teams hope to find an agreement, at a time when other clubs, such as Torino, have also been eyeing the Scottish international for more than a year. year. If his popularity has continued to rise in Italy in recent months, his name is not yet completely known in France and yet this native of Edinburgh has a profile that is far from uninteresting.
Born on May 18, 2002 in the Scottish capital, Josh Doig began his young career in the clubs Heart of Midlothian then Hibernian FC, where he trained professionally. After a little-noticed loan at Queen’s Park, he returned to Hibernian in the summer of 2020 and established himself in the squad for two seasons as an indisputable starter, which already attracted the interest of several English clubs at the time and Scottish, including Celtic. During this great 2020/2021 season, Josh Doig was also voted best young player of the year. In two campaigns with the Cabbage, he played 78 matches in all competitions, proof of high responsibility within the rotation at only 18 years old at the time. During the summer of 2022, Josh Doig leaves Scotland and flies to Italy where he signs a four-year contract with the Italian club.
A modular defensive profile
Now let’s talk a little about player style. Josh Doig is a left back by trade and has played a large part of his career in this position. Scotland have made a habit of producing brilliant left-backs, with Liverpool’s Andrew Robertson and Real Sociedad’s Kieran Tierney both demonstrating their talents in the Premier League. And Doig’s style of play isn’t much different from his compatriots. His rapid runs have become a feature of his game since his emergence at Hibernian and then the Gialloblu, while his riot of energy means he is capable of performing multiple defensive functions whilst providing valuable offensive assistance. At 1.89 meters tall, he is an intelligent and athletic defender, which makes his profile flexible by sometimes occupying the position of central defender as he was able to do this season with Hellas Verona. He has good pace and acceleration. His top speed is an excellent tool both offensively and defensively. He is often the first defender to return to defend during transition phases from attack to defense. Doig doesn’t show many weaknesses when defending. He is an excellent communicator in a somewhat disorganized zone marking system. He always makes sure his teammates know when his attacker has gotten in the way of a teammate.
On the offensive end, Josh Doig always looks to get forward and act as a wide attacking option when the situation arises. His main qualities come from his short passing game. He is able to make quick and short passes to maintain possession. This allows Doig to act as a good defender as a full-back. However, he struggles to make long passes, instead preferring to pass the ball to more creative teammates to avoid turnovers. The 21-year-old Scot can still improve on his skills as a center and his creative play, rarely taking initiatives and risks: “I thought he was a player that both Glasgow teams should have looked at before he left for Italy. He had all the attributes to be a modern day full back – physically strong, able to get up and down the pitch, an attacking full back and that’s how Rangers like to play., recently declared Alan Hutton, a former Scottish international turned TV consultant. His profile should not revolutionize the OM squad, as his potential is not that high, but his arrival would offer a great versatile option for Gennaro Gattuso. A sure value.
