Woodburn raises the threat level
BEN WOODBURN is the teenage sensation breathing life into Wales’ bid to end a 60-year wait for an appearance at the World Cup.
Liverpool forward Woodburn, 17, carries the hopes of a nation after announcing himself on the international stage with two stunning cameos.
And his team-mate Ben Davies believes he can lead Wales to a second successive major tournament.
“He has been superb in the last two games,” said Davies. “He has changed the games and when you have a player like him, especially at his age, he looks like he has a long future ahead with Wales.
“What he has shown the last two times he has come on is that he can hack it with the best. If you put him on in any game, he can have an impact.
“We saw him over the last couple of training camps and it was a shame he got injured before the Serbia game.
“He might just be 17 but there’s no worries about giving him the ball. He has all the confidence in the world and that’s what we need in this team.”
It has been quite a week for Woodburn. First came a goal five minutes into his international debut that sunk Austria on Saturday and earned a vital three points for Chris Coleman’s side in Cardiff.
The Wales manager turned to him once again, calling him off the bench when their charge towards Russia looked to be fading away in Moldova, and he did not disappoint.
His sharp decision-making and faster feet allowed him to find Hal Robson-Kanu to head home in the 80th minute, proving Wales’ efforts to persuade the Chester-born Woodburn to choose the nation of his maternal grandfather are paying off.
Coleman has been in regular contact with his family to outline his plans and make the youngster feel at home in his adopted country.
Assistant manager Osian Roberts made sure everyone at the FAW was aware of Woodburn’s potential while he was coaching him at age-grade level only last year.
But it looked as if he had been mixing it at the top level from the moment he was thrust on in the Moldovan capital to send Wales above Ireland in Group D on Tuesday. His deft first-touches lit up potential openings that had seemed like dead-ends before his introduction.
Wales’ elder statesmen Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey and Joe Allen looked to Woodburn at every opportunity – and for good reason.
His goal and assist in his first two outings will grab the headlines. But his tight turns and spontaneous flicks added the missing bite to the Dragons’ attack.
Woodburn will feel 10ft tall when he strides back into Liverpool’s Melwood training ground, and Davies believes he will be terrorising Premier League defences very soon.
“I’m sure he would have the same impact in the Premier League, we’re confident in him every time he comes on to the field,” said Tottenham defender Davies. “He definitely takes the pressure off Gareth, Aaron and Joe. They try to do the difficult stuff because they feel they have to try to create chances.
“When you have somebody like Ben come on, he can really take that pressure off our boys to play a bit more naturally and freely. It gives us a serious threat up there.”