Who is Ben Woodburn? By now, Liverpool supporters have watched his remarkable international goal for Wales numerous times. And, prior to that, probably recall him appearing in a handful of games last season and know him as a young prospect in our system. But, if you don't already know, it's time to learn all about Ben Woodburn.
Supporters know Woodburn is just a teen, and in fact at age 17 he became Wales second youngest goal scorer ever. Born in 1999, Woodburn has been in the Liverpool system for over a decade. He began his time with Liverpool at the academy as a U-7 player. Since then, he has been steadily progressing and making some history along the way. Not only did he become Wales second youngest goal scorer, he made history with Liverpool as well. Last year, Woodburn scored in an EFL Cup match vs Leeds United. In doing so, he became the youngest goalscorer in Liverpool Football Club's history. A history that goes back 125 years to 1892.
At 5'9" and 159 pounds, Woodburn is not a huge specimen. However, his stature is growing at an enormous rate. Ben Woodburn is a right-footed player who is most comfortable on the left wing. However, he can play across the front line and has seen time on the right wing and as an attacking midfielder as well.
In November 2016, Woodburn signed his first professional contract. He is under contract with the Reds until June 30, 2019. Last year, he appeared in 5 Premier League matches. In addition, he made first team appearances in 3 FA Cup games and 1 EFL Cup match. In his 9 first team appearances, Woodburn scored once. He also played in 15 youth league matches last year where he scored 8 goals and added 6 assists.
Attention on the teen is growing and this past week he made his international debut playing for Wales in 2 World Cup Qualifying matches. Although he did not start in either game, Woodburn came in off the bench and made an immediate impact in both games. In his debut, he entered the contest in the second half of a scoreless game versus Austria. If Wales are to qualify for the World Cup, these two games were critical. The pressure was on. But the pressure did not effect Ben Woodburn. In fact, he shined under the bright lights making an immediate impact. Less than 5 minutes after stepping onto the pitch, Woodburn took a ball out of the air from a defensive header, immediately controlled it, and blasted a shot from over 20 yards out to give Wales the lead and ultimately the win. Not only did he score, but his entranced changed the game and Wales had an immediate energy that was taken from the youngster. In his second match, Woodburn didn't' score but also made a huge impact. This time he set-up a goal as Wales would earn another critical victory. Ben Woodburn in a matter of days became a hero in Wales and talk of World Cup play is picking up across the country.
Now Ben Woodburn rejoins his Liverpool teammates and people question what role he may have with the club. It is no doubt that Woodburn is a rising star who joes not disappear under pressure but instead seems to feed off of it. Ben Woodburn has shown the ability to shine on the largest stage. Couple that Jurgen Klopp's propensity to give opportunities to young players, expect Woodburn to burst onto the first-team scene even more this season.