MIDDLESBROUGH loanee Ben Doak wasn't even born when Cristiano Ronaldo made his international debut - but the winger helped Scotland frustrate the former Manchester United and Real Madrid superstar in Glasgow.
Ronaldo now has 216 Portugal caps compared to Doak's four international appearances but the latter was undoubtedly the happier of the two attackers after Scotland held Roberto Martinez's side to a 0-0 draw at Hampden on Tuesday night.
And Ronaldo let his frustrations show at full-time, storming down the tunnel after referee Lawrence Visser had brought an end to the game before Portugal could take a corner.
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Doak's evening had come to a close 20 minutes or so earlier, with Steve Clarke withdrawing the winger midway through the second half, an understandable decision given the Scotland boss had stressed the need to protect the 18-year-old after impressing in his first start in the defeat at Croatia just three days earlier.
"You've always got the balancing act,” said Clarke of Doak, the only teenager in the Scotland squad for this get-together.
“We know Ben is a talent. We want Ben to be a talent for the next 15 years, not the next 15 months. As I always say, don't put too much pressure on him - he's just a young man. He will make mistakes in the game, he will do some really good things in the game.
“It's to get the balance right between giving Ben the opportunity to play, because he's more than capable of taking them, but also making sure we protect him a little bit and we don't overhype. Sometimes maybe in the past there have been players that have been a little bit overhyped that don't fulfil their potential.
"The most important thing for Ben is that he fulfils his potential and if we can help him do that, that's what we'll try and do.”
Doak is now due back on Teesside as Boro attention turns to the visit of Bristol City on Saturday.
The Liverpool youngster started three successive games before the international break, starring in the win over Stoke City when he scored his first Boro goal.
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