No 1 man’s Cup memories are just for keeps

WOR JACKIE TROPHY WINNER:

NEWCASTLE United have a World Cup winner among their ranks - in fact, they have two, writes CHRIS WAUGH.

Magpies’ Academy products Freddie Woodman and Adam Armstrong were part of the England squad who lifted the 2017 FIFA Under-20 World Cup last summer.

It was Woodman who really excelled in South Korea, winning the Golden Glove Award for the tournament’s best goalkeeper after saving a crucial penalty during the 1-0 final victory over Venezuela.

A player who already has two England Under-21 caps to his name, Woodman also made his long-awaited Newcastle firstteam debut in the FA Cup third-round victory over Luton Town.

Long seen as a future Magpies’ No 1, United’s inability to recruit a third senior goalkeeper during the summer prevented Woodman from heading out on loan to an EFL club to gain greater experience.

However, the son of former Newcastle goalkeeping coach Andy Woodman did impress during previous temporary spells at Crawley Town in 2015 and Kilmarnock last year.

At 6ft 2in, Woodman Junior - who has been at Newcastle since 2013 after moving to the North East from Croydon - is not the tallest goalkeeper but he is an excellent shot-stopper and is confident with the ball at his feet, too.

Woodman appears to have a bright future not just with Newcastle but also the England senior team - with the goalkeeper extremely highly thought-of within the national set-up.