Freddie Woodman on Liverpool chance and Carabao Cup inspiration

After seeing off Southampton in September, the Reds host Crystal Palace in round four on Wednesday night at Anfield.

Winners in 2022 and 2024 before being beaten in last season’s final, Arne Slot’s side will be aiming to move a step closer to another special occasion at Wembley.

With Giorgi Mamardashvili currently first choice between the posts due to Alisson Becker being sidelined by injury, the tie could present summer arrival Woodman the opportunity to make his competitive debut for the club.

In an interview for the official matchday programme, the No.28 says: “Any time I get to pull on the jersey for this club, whether it be a pre-season game or whatever competition, I’ll always just try to do my best and enjoy the moment, because I’ve spent a lot of time playing in the Championship and so to play for a club with this history is pretty special.

“It’s clear that this club takes the competition seriously, like it does every competition. When you get to the latter stages, you go to Wembley and you see how important it is to the fans.

“We train in the goalkeeping area at the AXA Training Centre and I regularly see the photo of Caoimhin Kelleher on the wall after his success in the recent finals, and that’s how important it is.

“You can really write yourself into history if you win trophies at this club, so I know how important it is and the club recognises how important this competition is too.”

Woodman made the move to Merseyside on a free transfer during the summer, having spent three seasons at Preston North End.

He had previously been on Newcastle United’s books for almost a decade, embarking on a number of loan transfers while at the Magpies too.

A former England youth international, he is now thriving on being part of the set-up of the reigning Premier League champions.

“I’ve played consistently over the last five or six years, albeit in the Championship and a few Premier League games,” he says.

“I wanted to keep playing and I’m only 28, but there was a conversation in the summer where Liverpool came up. I had other options but my dad said to me, ‘How do you turn down Liverpool? You just can’t do it.’

“I’m very happy with my decision because l get to work with the best players in the world and I get to work up close with Ali and Giorgi, who are top goalkeepers who I think are only going to make me better and help my development.”

Were Woodman to pull on the Liverpool shirt against Palace, it would be a particularly fitting opponent for his first game.

Not only was he a boyhood supporter of the Eagles, the London outfit gave him his first steps into the sport.

“I got into football quite late really in terms of the playing side of things,” Woodman explains.

“Obviously I watched my dad [former professional goalkeeper Andy] growing up but I just played a little bit here and there.

“It was completely random how it happened for me, really. I was at secondary school and we used to rotate the team around.

“It was my turn to go in goal one day and I had a teacher at the time, Mr Bruce, who was a coach for Crystal Palace. After the session, he came up to me and said he wanted me to go down to Crystal Palace Park, where the academy set-up was based, that evening and take a trial. And that’s where it all started for me.

“I used to go down to Selhurst with my grandad as he had a season ticket down there. I was a ballboy a few times and also a mascot and I just used to love it.

“Being a south London lad, being a Crystal Palace fan was just born into me really.”

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