1. Benjamin Luke Woodburn was born on 15 October 1999 and is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for EFL League Two club Salford City and the Wales national team.
22 Facts About Ben Woodburn
1. 2.
Ben Woodburn joined the football academy of Liverpool when he was seven years old.
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Ben Woodburn subsequently went on loan to Sheffield United, Oxford United, Blackpool and Hearts.
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Ben Woodburn represents Wales at international level and became the nation's second youngest goalscorer behind Gareth Bale when he scored on his senior debut in 2017.
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Ben Woodburn joined Liverpool's academy at under-7 level where he steadily progressed through the youth ranks, leading to former academy director Frank McParland identifying him as one of the brightest prospects at the club.
6.
When he was 15 years old, Ben Woodburn left his high school, Bishop Heber High School and was fast-tracked from Liverpool's under-16s to the under-18s where his rapid development saw him included in Liverpool's "Futures Group", a programme which afforded the club's most talented young players a weekly opportunity to train with then first-team coach, Pep Lijnders.
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Ben Woodburn was later nominated for the Premier League 2 Player of the Season award alongside Alexander-Arnold, though the award was ultimately won by Swansea City's Oli McBurnie.
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Ben Woodburn continued to represent the youth and reserve sides at the start of the second half of the season.
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On 31 July 2018, Ben Woodburn signed on a season-long loan with Championship side Sheffield United.
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Ben Woodburn converted his spot kick but Sheffield United were ultimately defeated after his former Liverpool teammate Kevin Stewart scored the winning penalty for Hull.
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Ben Woodburn was recalled from his loan by Liverpool where he spent the remainder of the season, making sporadic appearances for the club's U23 side.
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On 30 July 2019, Ben Woodburn signed with League One side Oxford United on a season-long loan.
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On 16 October 2020, Ben Woodburn joined Blackpool on loan until 17 January.
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Ben Woodburn linked up again with the former under-23s head coach at Liverpool, now manager at Blackpool, Neil Critchley.
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On 23 August 2021, Ben Woodburn signed with Scottish Premiership club Heart of Midlothian on a season-long loan.
16.
On 4 July 2022, following the expiry of his Liverpool contract, Ben Woodburn signed a one-year contract with Championship side Preston North End with an option for a further year.
17.
On 23 July 2024, Ben Woodburn joined Salford City on a two-year contract.
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Until his senior international debut, Ben Woodburn was eligible to represent both Wales, through his maternal grandfather, and England.
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Ben Woodburn rejected the call-up and chose to remain in the Wales setup at the time.
20.
Ben Woodburn has played for Wales up to U19 level and was first called up to train at one of the nation's regional development centres at Dragon Park when he was 13.
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Ben Woodburn played for Wales U15s in two games against Poland in March 2014, scored a hat-trick for the U16 side against Northern Ireland the following year and then captained the U17 team against Greece in 2016.
22.
On 16 March 2017, Ben Woodburn was called up by head coach Chris Coleman to the Wales senior team for the first time, aged 17, for the nation's World Cup qualifier against the Republic of Ireland.