I’ll protect Ben vows ’Pool boss

LIVERPOOL manager Jurgen Klopp admits it will be difficult to keep the club’s new youngest record goalscorer Ben Woodburn out of the spotlight if he continues to score goals.

Woodburn, aged 17 years and 45 days, beat Michael Owen’s record by 98 days with an emphatic 81st-minute finish in the 2-0 win over Leeds in the EFL Cup quarter-final.

He had only made his first-team debut in Saturday’s victory over Sunderland — and that was barely a minute at the end of the match — but he is highly rated within the club and the fact he was born in Chester, like Owen, will only lend itself to unrealistic comparisons at such an early stage.

Woodburn, a 67th-minute substitute, grabbed all the headlines in a match which the visitors dominated for over an hour before Divock Origi’s second in as many matches broke the deadlock in the 76th minute.

“We know how to handle the situation,” said Klopp, whose side booked a record 17th League Cup semi-final and their fourth in the last six years, having lost the final to Manchester City last season.

“I can say whatever I want but if he scores goals it’s difficult to stay cool from your (media) side, no problem.

“But nothing what we say here is important enough to help Ben Woodburn or myself.

“My first job is to help these boys be the best. There’s a lot of things to do, especially t o keep t he public away as l ong as possible. That’s quite a difficult thing to do.”

Ben Woodburn (left) became Liverpool’s youngest scorer.