We’ll reset Benchmark
Robbie sure he can get Woodburn back on track like he has with Baningime
ROBBIE NEILSON has vowed to help stalled starlet Ben Woodburn get his career back on track.
The Liverpool youngster exploded on to the scene in 2016 when he broke Michael Owen’s record to become the club’s youngest scorer at 17 years and 45 days old.
He followed that up with a goal on his international debut for Wales in 2017 but his star has dipped in recent times.
Loan moves to Sheffield United, Oxford and Blackpool have failed to propel the 21year-old to the level many predicted he would reach.
But Neilson reckons there is still bags of potential in Woodburn and plans to squeeze every last drop of it from the talented playmaker in his season-long loan stint.
Neilson, who has got a tune out of Beni Baningime, 22, after the midfielder was surplus to requirements at Everton, said: “It’s very difficult for these young kids at big clubs down south.
“When they burst on to the scene they have to be at that level consistently and it can be difficult for a young kid, almost nigh on impossible to be there week in, week out.
“They have their dips and it’s about how they come back in again. Ben and Beni have still got a chance of going on to the highest level. That’s an exciting prospect. Beni came on to the scene at Everton and had a couple of loans that didn’t work out for him.
“Ben was the same and we hope to get him into an environment where he can kick on like Beni has and give him that platform.”
Woodburn hopes to make his debut at Tannadice tomorrow when Hearts face Neilson’s old Dundee United team.
But the Jambos gaffer admits he feared he had missed out on landing the forward, who has been capped 10 times, when
Reds boss Jurgen Klopp got cold feet about sending him north.
Woodburn was even named on the bench for Liverpool’s Premier League opener at Norwich earlier this month before the deal was eventually pushed through.
Neilson added: “It’s good to get him in, it’s been a while. It’s probably been a month trying to get him in the door.
“I thought I had him about a week to 10 days ago, then it stalled a bit.
“It’s good to finally get him here and you can see already in training he brings real quality to us. There was a lot of interest in him down south but we spoke to him, sent him a video of this place, the stadium, the fan base and the city.
“We think it’s a good fit. Did we have to sell the move to him and his club? It’s a bit of both.
“He had a lot of options, he’s a Welsh international. But we’ve got great facilities here and a good platform to play.
“From Liverpool’s perspective they were just wanting him to play week in, week out and I’d expect him to do that.” Neilson now hopes to tie up a move for Bristol City defender Taylor Moore before the transfer window shuts on Tuesday.
The Jambos boss said: “He’s one who’s been put to us.
“We’ve been trying to get the right one in for a while.
“I hope it doesn’t go to the deadline. I’d like to try to get something in over the weekend.
“On the last day it can become frantic. We’ve been pretty patient with what we’ve done and touch wood we’ve got the right ones in so far.”