When Wales take on England in their decisive final World Cup group game in Al Rayyan, Liverpool supporters will spot a number of familiar faces in Rob Page’s ranks.
Following Wayne Hennessy’s sending off against Iran, former Reds goalkeeper Danny Ward is set to start in goal, while academy graduates Neco Williams and Harry Wilson will be looking to retain their places having started both matches so far. Meanwhile, Joe Allen could be handed his first start of the tournament having made his return from a hamstring injury as a substitute last time out.
Yet one Liverpool record-breaker is nowhere in sight, despite being tipped to be their next poster boy, following in the footsteps of Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey when first bursting onto the scene six years ago.
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While November 29th could go down as one of the greatest days in Wales’ footballing history if they are able to qualify for the knockout stages of the 2022 World Cup, it is already the most memorable day in Ben Woodburn’s career, having become Liverpool’s youngest ever goalscorer on this day in 2016.
Yet his formative days promised so much more, with the forward once the jewel of the Reds’ academy as well as Wales’ next big hope. Instead, he is now with Championship side Preston North End following a successful summer trial, having been released by his boyhood club at the end of his contract, and hasn’t played for his country since September 2021. It is his only international appearance since scoring on his last start against Trinidad and Tobago in March 2019.
Having joined the Reds’ academy at the age of eight, such was his level of ability and Liverpool’s desire to sign Woodburn, the club agreed to his mother’s request that he should live at home rather than with house parents near Rainhill, the school where he was educated, with the club also hiring a driver to pick him up from his home in Tattenhall and take him to and from training, with the forward often arriving for training sessions still in his school uniform.
Touted as the club’s strongest prospect by their former academy director Frank McParland, ahead of best friend Trent Alexander-Arnold, he was handed his U18s debut during the 2015/16 campaign at the age of 15 after being fast-tracked by the club, and ended the season as joint top-scorer. Meanwhile, his rapid development saw him included in Liverpool's "Futures Group", a programme which afforded the club's most talented young players a weekly opportunity to train with then first-team coach, and now assistant manager, Pep Lijnders. Jurgen Klopp would watch such sessions with great interest.
“I’ve worked with Ben for the last two seasons,” Woodburn’s former Under-16s coach Des Maher would tell the ECHO following the youngster’s promotion to the Under-18s. “He comes in every day and gives it everything he has got. I believe he is destined to make big steps in the game.”
Capable of playing anywhere in attack but compared to Aaron Ramsey, a first taste of senior action following that summer in Jurgen Klopp’s first pre-season at Anfield. Making an uncompetitive debut against Tranmere Rovers, the then 16-year-old would follow it up with back-to-back goals against Fleetwood Town and Wigan Athletic to set tongues wagging further.
Asked whether a player who had just taken his GCSEs could figure in the first team, following his goal against Wigan, Klopp replied at the time: "Of course not. Ben is 16. Of course not." Yet come November and he would become their third-youngest ever player and youngest ever goalscorer.
One of Michael Edwards’ first acts as Liverpool’s first sporting director, before the title was officially announced, was to conclude three-year contracts for the club’s most talented youngsters in Woodburn and Alexander-Arnold, with the starlet signing his first professional deal in November 2016. Less than three weeks later, he was making his senior debut for the Reds on November 26 at the age of 17 years and 42 days, coming on as a 92nd minute substitute for Gini Wijnaldum as the Reds recorded a 2-0 victory over Sunderland in the Premier League.
With a League Cup home clash against Leeds United following three days later, Klopp was inevitably asked if the starlet would be involved. “I’m not sure how ready he is,” the German told reporters. “Ben is a wonderful boy, I have seen a lot of very positive signs.”
Klopp would introduce Woodburn as a 67th minute substitute in place of Kevin Stewart with the scores still goalless in the League Cup quarter-final at Anfield. Less than 10 minutes later, Divock Origi had knocked Liverpool ahead from Alexander-Arnold’s cross. Five minutes later and the Reds had their second as the young forward wrote his name into the Anfield record books, rifling home first-time in front of the Kop from Wijnaldum’s lay-off.
While delighted by Woodburn’s impact, Klopp was wary of the attention he would now gain publicly following his record-breaking goal.
“Tonight it was very important that we could have him [Woodburn] on the bench and bring him in the game because of our situation in the offensive department," the German told reporters. "So it's very important for us today and he scored a goal, that makes it much more enjoyable.
"It's all good. We know what Ben is capable of and what he is already able to do. My first job is to help these boys so that they can be the best - in this case, Ben Woodburn.
"There's a lot of things to do, especially to keep the public away as long as possible. That's quite a difficult thing to do. But on the other hand, we only bring him in because we want to use him.
"So that means when he's on the pitch he's absolutely allowed to score goals, to prepare situations, to make crosses – how Trent did, for example. So, all good. I'm really happy for him.
“The only problem is I'm a little bit afraid about you [the media]. We know how to handle the situation. I can say whatever I want but if he scores goals it's difficult to stay cool from your side, no problem.
"Nothing what we say here is important enough to help Ben Woodburn or myself. That's why I'm so quiet on this. Think and do what you want, but don't write anything – only 'Goalscorer, Ben Woodburn.' Done. Quite a challenge!"
“He looks like a very down-to-earth guy but you could see the emotion in his eyes after the game,” fellow goalscorer Origi would say of his new team-mate. “I’m very happy for him because scoring at this age at Anfield I think is a huge boost for him.
“He still has to learn but I think he is in the perfect environment because we all want to help each other. You can’t imagine a better manager to develop young players so it is all good for him and the other youngsters.
“We all try to help each other. For him it is most important that he enjoys the game, he tries to learn and to learn to make steps. This is an age you can make a lot of steps really quickly. I think it is all on him but he has the quality. I can tell you that he has qualities and I hope that we can see more of him in the future.”
Following his rapid development at Liverpool, both Sky Sports and The Guardian named Woodburn as one of the top young players to watch in 2017, while he'd be nominated for the 2017 European Golden Boy award, which would be won by Kylian Mbappe, but was named Liverpool's Academy Player of the Season - ahead of Alexander-Arnold.
But then Under-23s manager Michael Beale, who has recently taken over at Rangers, would share similar concerns to Klopp during Woodburn’s breakthrough season about young players trying to break through under a microscope.
“The biggest thing with Ben is that he’s very low-maintenance and high-output,” Beale said. “That’s what you want from a young player. He’s not brash or flash. He works hard and is from a fantastic family. You don’t need to keep his feet on the ground.
“My worry sometimes with this team is that we put too much of a lens on it. I remember Steven Gerrard making a great comment a few years back about the time when there was no LFCTV, no media around the academy teams, and how the young players developed away from the cameras. This is a young team and we need to just let these boys grow.”
Bettering Michael Owen's record by 98 days, Woodburn remains Liverpool’s youngest ever scorer courtesy of that League Cup strike when aged 17 years and 45 days. Unless the Reds’ latest jewel, Ben Doak, is able to get on the scoresheet against Man City in the League Cup next month on December 22, having made his debut earlier this month, his record will remain safe.
Yet there was no such warning from Klopp for the media or fans when Doak made his debut against Derby County, having already talked the former Celtic youngster up unprompted earlier in the season. It’s curious, especially when you consider Woodburn’s fortunes since that record-breaking night.
He'd be handed his first start in the FA Cup against Plymouth Argyle in January 2017, with a maiden Premier League start in a memorable 2-1 win over Stoke City the following April as he finished his breakthrough season with nine appearances to his name. Meanwhile, he’d be caught up in the middle of a public disagreement between Klopp and Wales manager Chris Coleman following his maiden international call-up that March.
“Ben is happy about it so I am happy about it,’ the German said. “Should it be now? I would say probably not, but it’s not a problem. Ben is a wonderful kid, he can deal with it.
“Now there are two managers who have to make sure that he develops in the right way. Now we can share it.
“Actually, I was surprised about this. I don’t know exactly how it’s normal here. This should not be a criticism, but usually when you call up a player, a 17-year-old player, I thought it would be possible to call me.
“I’m not sure if he knows him well. He didn’t play in the team so far for Coleman I think. But no call.”
He continued: “If he stopped learning now, that would make no sense at 17. I’m not in doubt about this. We didn’t hide him. We used him all the time. He’s a fixed part of our training. He can deal with the nomination for Wales 100%.
“It’s a little bit like my situation. As long as you give me the time, as long as we give him the time, everything will be good. He has to learn, he has to develop, he has to improve, all of this. That’s why I said there are now two managers responsible for him. Until now, it was only my job.”
Coleman had been accused of only calling up Woodburn to secure his international allegiance was with Wales rather than England, who the forward was also eligible for. While he wouldn’t make his international debut for a further six months, his international manager disputed such claims.
“I make my own mind up about a player” Coleman insisted. “I understand when you pick young players then clubs go: ‘Oh, calm down’, but I make my own mind up.
“No matter how old he is, if he is good enough and I think he has something to offer us and can help us in this challenge then I am going to pick him. That’s no disrespect to Jurgen or anybody else who say maybe he’s not.
“He belongs to them but I’ve got a job to do for Wales and I have to pick my strongest squad. At the minute from what I have seen he belongs in our strongest 23. That’s why he is there.”
Woodburn would make his Wales debut against Austria in September 2017, and marked it by scoring a spectacular 25-yard winner just 261 seconds after coming on. He’d follow it up by turning provider with a brilliant run and cross for Hal Robson-Kanu to break the deadlock in a 2-0 win over Moldova days later, prompting Coleman to defend his inclusion once again.
"Jurgen felt it was a bit early for Ben [playing for Wales] but we've all got opinions, which is what is great about football,'' Coleman said. "I felt that if he was in the first team for Liverpool, and he is, he scored that great debut goal at the Kop end, then he was ready.
"We weren't going to start him in both games and play him for 90 minutes. We were going to be choosy with when we use him, but he's a good young talent that's for sure.''
"It will be up to Jurgen and Ben on how far or close he is to the first team. What we've seen is that he is a very bright player and he's certainly shown enough with us again. Whatever is the next six or 12 months will be up to Jurgen and Ben himself.'
"These youngsters, even Ben, have it all to do because I know how tough it is to stay at the top level in this industry. It gets harder, but he's got a great attitude. We have to protect Ben and give him guidance, hence why he didn't start against Moldova.
"He's used to working with really good defenders every day at Liverpool. But there's nothing that prepares you for a 90 minutes out there, it's completely different. He's very young and we have to take it slow unless we're forced to - and then we'll have to be careful.''
While Woodburn might have burst onto the scene with Wales, following on from his breakthrough season with Liverpool, he hadn’t actually featured in any Reds matchday squad in 2017/18 prior to his international debut.
And that was despite featuring in pre-season, as Klopp turned to him in midfield and shared how pleased he was to have him as part of his squad.
“Ben has played there a few times before and he’s a very smart player,” he told reporters that summer. “He’s too young to fix him to any one position. We want to have him in and around our team. We will see what happens as he grows. Will he get even smarter? 100 percent.
“Bringing him into the middle of the park will help him to learn the highest level of football under pressure. It’s exciting. I have no idea what his best position is, I’m just happy to have him around.”
But after Woodburn’s international heroics, Klopp would explain Liverpool’s plan for the forward as they looked to manage him carefully, admitting the youngster had been held back following his pre-season showings.
“I heard someone say ‘The Prince of Wales’ - I love it,” he said. “I said it twice this morning, I’m not sure that he loves it too much.
“It was fantastic. We all know, and maybe we know Ben best, and he did brilliantly for us already. It was a hard start in pre-season, it was not too easy and he couldn’t perform as he did before.
“But in the last two or three weeks he was really in a good way. I saw the games and he had a big impact; that’s really rare for a 17-year-old boy, so it’s a really nice story.
“From our point of view, it’s clear. It all depends on the player. He is a really patient boy, that’s really good - not only in the game but around.
“He doesn’t expect too much. In the morning he probably has a quick look at his passport, ‘Oh, still 17’ - he is a fantastic boy. I know the world around is getting more and more crazy and we help with all we can.
“There are so many stories from the past when very young boys showed up and later you didn’t hear anything of them anymore. It will not happen with Ben.
“I think he is in the best hands here at Liverpool. We will do the right thing; he will play youth, he will play Under-23s, he will play first-team football.
"The main message is he needs to play football. He trains with us always and then we will decide each weekend where he can play.
“Our target is that we have him in the first team because we like him, we see his quality and that’s the main thing. But for us it’s not too important if it’s tomorrow or in a year, it’s just important that we can use him then. That’s what we try to prepare.”
Woodburn would come on as a substitute against Leicester City later that month, but would only feature once more for the club that season - as a substitute on the final day of the Premier League campaign against Brighton & Hove Albion as Klopp’s side prepared for a Champions League final clash with Real Madrid.
He would sign a new long-term deal with Liverpool in October 2017, however, and was named BBC Wales Young Sportsman of the Year in December.
"It's an unbelievable feeling to sign a new contract with Liverpool," Woodburn told the club's official website at the time. "This is the club I want to stay at and be here as long as possible. When I was told, all I wanted to do was sign the contract. It feels good. Now I just want to carry on and hopefully show the manager what I can do.
"I think there is loads of room for improvement. I've just got to keep working and trying in training every day and hopefully I will improve. Defending and maybe getting a few more goals [are what I want to improve]. Just trying to come in with the first team and play like a first-team player.
"But I think I've grown as a player and matured physically and technically, and grown in confidence. For the rest of this season, my aim is just to carry on, try to play as many games for the U19s and first team. Hopefully I will get some more appearances for the first team and progress in the U19s Champions League."
Meanwhile, Klopp would label the forward, along with Rhian Brewster after he helped England win the Under-17s World Cup in 2017, as players for the future at Anfield.
“I don't like to make things like this too big. We had Rhian around last season before he got an injury,” he said. “Rhian is very similar as a person to Ben Woodburn. He never thinks about what team he's playing for. These boys are the future and we need to build the present."
But as Klopp built for the present, Woodburn got lost along the way. The German would lead the Reds to every major honour going in the years ahead but, despite him remaining a contracted Liverpool player until the summer of 2022 and all of the academy hype, Woodburn would not be part of it.
Ultimately, he’d never play competitively again for the Reds with that May 2018 outing against the Seagulls his final senior appearance, and his Leeds goal remaining his only strike for his boyhood club.
Instead a succession of disappointing loans followed as, plagued by unfortunate injuries, he failed to live up to his early promise. First sent out to Championship side Sheffield United, he'd made eight appearances for the Blades, but only two from the start, before his temporary move was cut short in January, having suffered an ankle injury midway through the season.
Speaking about the youngster’s situation in January 2019, Klopp admitted he’d only sanction another loan if regular first team football would be guaranteed. As a result, he was left making sporadic appearances for Liverpool Under-23s as Sheffield United went on to win promotion to the Premier League without him, though would make his only matchday squad appearance for the Reds that season as an unused substitute for their famous 4-0 victory over Barcelona in the Champions League semi-finals.
"Ben Woodburn is an outstanding talent, still pretty much a kid, and I am happy to see him here, running around, completely fit and really settled in the squad,” Klopp said after returning from a warm-weather training camp in Dubai in January 2019. "In the summer, I think he lost a bit of patience and it was really long he was already with us.
"The first-team situation didn't really change and then you maybe - and it's normal and can happen - lose patience. Then you have a rather average experience at another club and you come back and see here everything is still like it was before.
"Now he trained [on Friday] for the first time so I think if something happens with a loan, then it will happen at the end of the week. We will really try to give him as many sessions as possible so if he goes somewhere, he is really in a good situation."
A second loan move would be sanctioned in July 2019, however, as Woodburn joined League One Oxford United for the season. But despite claiming an assist on his debut against Sunderland in August 2019, and a first goal against Bristol Rovers later that month, his season was once again disrupted by injury as he broke a bone in his foot in October and returned to Liverpool to recover. Yet in his final training session before returning to Oxford in December, suffered a "carbon copy" of the injury in his other foot.
By the time he was ready to return to action in 2020, football had been suspended indefinitely because of the coronavirus pandemic, with League One decided by 'points per game' rather than seeing out the campaign. The League One play-offs would take place, however, with Woodburn starting Oxford's semi-final first leg as they drew 1-1 with Portsmouth.
Then an 119th minute substitute in the second leg as Oxford won on penalties to reach the final, he was a last-minute substitute once again in the final as they suffered a late 2-1 to Wycombe Wanderers to miss out on promotion. As a result, Woodburn would boast just 16 appearances from his time at the Kassam Stadium.
A return to League One followed in 2020/21, this time with Blackpool as he reunited with his former Liverpool Under-23s manager Neil Critchley at Bloomfield Road. However, only signing up for half a season with his progress to be assessed, he'd be limited to 13 appearances, of which only four were starts, as a bout of covid this disrupted his latest loan. Not extended as a result, he returned to playing Under-23s football and the occasional unused substitute appearance for the Reds.
Unsurprisingly, he was not included in the Wales squad for the delayed Euro 2020 as a result, with his bad luck at club level ensuring only four of his 11 international caps had come since March 2018. Entering the final year of the Liverpool contract he’d signed back in October 2017, Woodburn would at least make a positive impact with his boyhood club in the summer of 2021.
Deployed as a makeshift right-back during a 1-0 victory over Bologna, he'd make an 18-minute substitute appearance against Athletic Bilbao before an injury to Curtis Jones saw him brought on the following day against CA Osasuna at Anfield.
“Ben missed only a small part of the pre-season but around this little break he shows up in a top, top way,” Klopp said. “He played in the pre-season I think four, five, six, seven positions. Played right-back, did really well; played midfield, did really well; played the wing, did really well; played No.9, did really well. So that’s good.”
Lijnders would echo such sentiments, six years after first working closely with Woodburn when he was initially fast-tracked by Liverpool.
“Again, what a performance from Ben,” the assistant manager said. “The energy he brings to the team is exactly what we stand for. Football smart, a good mover and he unbalances the opposition constantly with the ball but also with his movement off it. I’m so happy for him. Like many of the team it didn’t come easy for him, but he has an Anfield future.”
Woodburn would be an unused substitute against Norwich City off the back of such praise, but was then sent on loan to Scottish Premiership club Heart of Midlothian in August 2021, essentially signalling the end of his Reds career in the process with the final year of his contract falling north of the border.
He'd make 29 appearances for Hearts, scoring three goals, as they finished third in the table to qualify for the Europa League. Yet only 17 of those appearances were starts and he was an unused substitute for their Scottish League Cup final loss to Rangers in May 2022. The following month it was announced by Liverpool that he would leave the club at the end of the month when his contract expired.
After impressing on trial with Preston, Woodburn signed a one-year contract with the Championship side in July 2022, containing the option of a further year. As he looks to rebuild his reputation away from Anfield, he has made 20 appearances to date, scoring one goal in a League Cup loss to Premier League Wolves. Yet only four of his 18 Championship appearances have come from the start.
It’s now six years since Woodburn burst onto the scene at Anfield, with all that early hope, promise and expectation ultimately not coming to fruition. Or not at Liverpool at least, with Reds bosses inevitably hoping that he can instead belatedly live up to his potential in the next chapter of his career.
While he was ultimately destined to not have the Liverpool career that was expected of him, he is still only 23 and time is on his side. With Bale’s glittering career nearing its end, he could still re-emerge as the ‘Prince of Wales’ once again at least.
But back at Anfield, Woodburn is now just a name in a record book. No more, no less. Six years after that goal against Leeds and Klopp has belatedly got his wish.
'Goalscorer: Ben Woodburn,’ and nothing else. Be careful what you wish for.
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