The Liverpool loanee endured a difficult full debut for Sheffield United, it seems.
Liverpool talent Ben Woodburn would have been buzzing at around 2pm on Saturday when he was named in Sheffield United’s first XI for what represented his full debut for the Blades.
But by 3:45pm his mood might have been different – very different.
The 18-year-old midfielder joined the Championship side on a season-long loan from Liverpool and had made promising cameos in United’s first two league outings of the campaign.
However, Blades boss Chris Wilder substituted him at half-time during the 2-1 win over Norwich City at Bramall Lane yesterday, with Billy Sharp netting a last-minute winner for the hosts.
Woodburn could have been carrying some sort of knock which forced Wilder’s hand to some extent.
But it seems more likely that he simply struggled to make an impact, with some fans of the Yorkshire club remarking on how quiet he had been during the first 45 minutes.
If Wilder’s motivation stemmed from tactical reasons then it’s relatively embarrassing for Woodburn, but mental strength is a hugely important quality of any footballer – not least an 18-year-old – so hopefully the young Liverpool talent can bounce back.
Reds boss Jurgen Klopp appears to be a big fan of Woodburn – who has seven full caps for Wales – and the German, speaking to the club’s official website, praised him earlier this summer.
In 2016, a 17-year-old Woodburn became Liverpool’s youngest goalscorer in history after finding the net in a League Cup win over Leeds, eclipsing a certain Michael Owen. He remains a major talent and time will tell how he responds to this.
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