One to Watch: Ben Woodburn
Profiling the youngest goalscorer in Liverpool history
This is the second part of an ongoing series where we profile the future of Welsh football.
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Ben Woodburn may well transpire to become one of Wales’ foremost players, and far sooner than you may imagine, too. Here, Y Ddraig portrays the youngster making waves in Merseyside, and beyond.
Past month, I took a look at the promising Ethan Ampadu, and I’m pleased to say that our next candidate is in fact a Wales under-16 and 19 teammate of his! Raw and yet bursting with promise, it’s a pleasure to be covering the rapid rise of Wales and Liverpool’s Ben Woodburn.
It was in November that the excitement around Woodburn began to grow. He’d signed his first professional contract in the same month, and Jürgen Klopp saw fit to give him his Premier League debut shortly after, in a 2–0 victory over Sunderland. A monumental achievement for 17 year old Woodburn, which was quickly followed up by more unexpected success.
Coming off the bench versus Leeds United in the EFL Cup, just three days after making his debut, Woodburn became the youngest goalscorer in Liverpool’s history after finishing from close range to make the score 2–0 in the 81st minute. It was a colossal achievement for the young Welshman, and we can only hope that there’s more to come.
But can he be considered a top-class talent? Without a doubt. Were he in the English system it’s guaranteed that there’d be a lot of excitement, hence the FA’s reported attempts to make him jump ship. He’s a fantastic footballer with heaps of ability, and looks more likely to make an impact than Tyler Roberts and Liam Cullen, who regularly form and attacking line with him. However, it’s not a given that he will transpire to the heights that everybody is expecting, although the weight on his shoulders is suitably lighter than if he were an English international, with the national media and its habit of targeting misfiring youngsters.
It has been suggested that Woodburn should be called up for the Republic of Ireland fixture in Dublin, in March 2017, with Chris Coleman reportedly keen to solidify the teen’s commitment to the Welsh setup. Whether or not this happens, it comes across as slightly premature for a footballer only recently turned professional, but with Bale looking set to be ruled out for the clash, a void could open for Woodburn to fill, especially considering Hal Robson-Kanu’s lack of match time.
A future force in what could be a formidable lineup, Ben Woodburn at the humble age of 17 has already alerted the world to his growing presence. What remains to be seen is when he will get his first international opportunity.
By Tomos Knox (@tomosknox)
