Ben Woodburn is on loan at Championship side Sheffield United from Liverpool.
Liverpool will no doubt be hugely disappointed about Ben Woodburn’s lack of opportunities in a Sheffield United shirt.
The youngest goalscorer in Liverpool’s history has found first-team minutes hard to come by at Anfield since that record-breaking strike against Leeds United in September 2016, which propelled the fresh-faced Welshman into the limelight at the age of just 16.
So a loan move to Sheffield United was supposed to be the making of this teenage starlet. But Woodburn has featured in just six Championship games so far – and has been left out of the matchday squad for each of The Blades last five matches.
And, speaking to The Mirror (23 October, page 48), Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder was in no mood to take sympathy on the 19-year-old, who has played just 13 minutes of football since August.
“Ben’s not a special case at all. We’ve got seven or eight players in the same boat who can’t get in the team and he’s no different because he’s come from Liverpool,” Wilder said.
“He’s a talent, we understand he’s a good player and he’s not done anything wrong. Just as the boys who have been playing haven’t done anything wrong either.”
Woodburn featured for Liverpool’s U23 side at the weekend rather than take part in United’s 2-1 Championship defeat away at Derby County.
The Wales international is due to stay at Bramall Lane until the end of the season but it remains to be seen if Liverpool move to cut his spell short in January.
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