Ever since bursting onto the scene to help Liverpool into the semi-finals of the League Cup back in 2016, Ben Woodburn’s development has been a topic of interest.
Having broken Michael Owen’s record as being the Reds’ youngest-ever scorer, a record which had stood since May 1997, the Welsh starlet looked set for stardom.
Fast-forward to the present day, and now aged 20, Woodburn finds himself sidelined through injury after making an impressionable start to life on loan at League One Oxford United.
He may only have one goal to his name in Oxford colours, after 13 games, but a broken foot sustained at Accrington in October appeared to come at a time he was playing a crucial part in the Us’ rise up the League One table.
During the international break, former Liverpool academy coach and Oxford boss Karl Robinson has been speaking to the Blood Red podcast about the forward.
“He came to us on a real low this summer, after a difficult loan last year.”
Adding: “I think that loan he went on was too soon. I think people forget how young he is. The Championship is so unforgiving it’s incredible.
“The style of play at that level is a little bit different to the Premier League, it’s more forceful in the way you get the ball through the thirds, certainly more aggressive out of possession.
“When he came in the summer he knew they players I’ve worked with and, weirdly, I had him when was at eight years of age when I was a coach at Liverpool.
“So, when the opportunity arose it was a no-brainer for everybody: it was a no-brainer for Liverpool, the player and certainly a no-brainer for Oxford United.”
After playing just 155 minutes of Championship football last season on loan at promoted Sheffield United, over the course of just seven games, Robinson says Woodburn had begun to acclimatise to life at Oxford prior to injury striking:
“When you look at this season he’s been really good, to the point he was one of the most fouled players in the league at one stage and took one tackle which ended up breaking his foot.
“Some people seem to think that’s okay that you can do that to young players but this injury will certainly make him a better player. Sometimes you have to deal with these situations to become a better player.
“He was certainly getting treatment in our league that I felt wasn’t fair.
“I think he was a marked man because of his reputation but he’s coped with it so well and Liverpool should be extremely proud of him.”
With Man City on the horizon for Oxford in their own Carabao Cup quarter-final next month, Robinson is already pencilling a return date for the youngster.
A player who burst onto the scene in the League Cup back in 2016 to fire Liverpool into the last four, Robinson will be hoping, if not expecting, that Woodburn can do likewise for his Oxford side.
“Luckily enough, Richie Partridge, who I’ve known for many, many years is looking after him so I can keep in regular contact.
“We’re hoping in two weeks, he can come back down and finish off his rehabilitation and then hopefully ready and raring to go for our MK Dons and Man City games!”
