TEENAGE SENSATION
He could have played for England... but now Ben Woodburn has become Wales’
BEN WOODBURN announced his prodigious ability on the international stage with a goal of great quality and importance only 261 seconds into his Wales debut.
Chris Coleman’s plans for Russia 2018 were in danger of being shredded before the 17-year-old’s inspired intervention to beat Austria on Saturday evening and now Wales can look ahead with optimism.
Here, Sportsmail looks in depth at the latest Welsh teenage sensation . . .
So, it’s not the first time Woodburn has made a stunning impact?
No, on only his second Liverpool appearance last November he came off the bench to score in the League Cup against Leeds. Aged 17 year, 14 days, he broke Michael Owen’s record as Liverpool’s youngest-ever scorer.
Sportsmail’s Secret Scout had highlighted Woodburn’s talent two months earlier, likening his unerring finishing to Robbie Fowler’s style. Woodburn’s strike against Austria was delivered with no back lift, just like the ex- Liverpool striker.
How much senior football has he played?
He’s started one Premier League match and three FA Cup ties, with five substitute appearances. His introduction for Wales came in highly pressurised circumstances but it was no blind faith by Coleman. ‘If I thought he was going to be out of his depth I wouldn’t put him through that,’ said Coleman. ‘I felt he had something to offer because I’ve seen a lot of him. He came to Portugal with us before we played Serbia and he was outstanding. I was going to give him a run in Belgrade but he got injured. Thankfully against Austria it worked out for us.’
Could Woodburn have played for England?
Yes. Born in Nottingham, he was eligible for England until his senior competitive bow for Wales. But having been raised in the order city of Chester, Woodburn feels Welsh, qualifying through his maternal grandfather. He has been in the Wales system since May 2013, overseen by Coleman’s assistant Osian Roberts. Coleman said: ‘I know there was talk of Ben playing for England but I never thought it was going any other way. We’re in a privileged position because we’ve spoken to his family.’
Aside from scoring crucial goals, what are his abilities?
‘ It was a tight game against Austria but he was composed on the ball and managed to find space,’ said midfielder Andy King, who revealed the players gave Woodburn a round of applause on his return to the dressing room after the win. Defender Ben Davies added: ‘He’s a special player. We’ve seen it in the last few camps.’
What does the future hold?
Jurgen Klopp was concerned the glare of international football could prove detrimental to Woodburn’s development, but Wales believe the player, who sang
By Me as his initiation to the squad, has the perfect role models in Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey and Joe Allen. The player himself is thinking big, wanting to make an impact at the World Cup itself. ‘That would be another dream,’ said Woodburn.