Andy Robertson has offered high praise for Freddie Woodman after the “forgotten” goalkeeper was thrust into the spotlight during the Merseyside Derby.
Freddie Woodman was called into action following an injury to Giorgi Mamardashvili, stepping up under immense pressure to anchor the Liverpool defence.
It was a rollercoaster ride of a Merseyside Derby on Sunday afternoon, with Liverpool thankfully coming away from the Hill Dickinson Stadium with an invaluable 2-1 victory in hand.
The Reds didn’t have everything their own way against their bitter foes, with Everton equalising early in the second half courtesy of a scrappy Beto effort.
In truth, the Toffees could well have scored before the ex-Udinese man popped up with this equaliser, with a penalty appeal waved away, early into the first half, when Curtis Jones clumsily collided with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in the penalty area.
Chris Kavanagh waved away these appeals, and the Reds clearly found a second wind late on, as Virgil Van Dijk would be the last-gasp hero for Arne Slot’s visitors, when he headed home an emphatic 100th-minute winner for the red half of Merseyside to savour.
While the Dutch colossus was the hero once more, with the much-adored Liverpool captain loving a last-minute winner, Slot side also had the unexpected heroics of the aforementioned Woodman to thank for the dramatic win being secured.
The third-choice keeper was thrown in for his first taste of Premier League action since 2021, and he didn’t look out of place as Mamardashvili’s surprise stand-in, as he kept Moyes hosts at bay.
Andy Robertson was quick to praise the 29-year-old when the dust had settled on the electric 2-1 win, with the Scotsman hailing the number 28 as “so important” in Slot’s camp.
Robertson’s post-match praise of Woodman
Clearly, the reserve keeper is a popular figure in the dressing room, with Jones taking to social media, after the drama of the win had sunk in, to herald Woodman as “one of the best people ever.”
Robertson, who put in a disciplined performance himself in the intense Derby, with four tackles and duels won, also singled out the ex-Preston North End keeper with praise, with his cameo lauded as “incredible.”
The soon-to-be departing fullback said, when speaking to LFCTV: “Look, I take the mickey out of him a lot, and we always have a laugh and a joke, but he is a credit to himself.
“Since he has come in, he has been unbelievable, whether that’s Mo Salah wanting to stay out and do penalties after training, Woody is one there doing that with him.
Whether it is running after the game where the lads have been dragged out, like I’ve done [after the game] at PSG, and he is always there to do it and to support.
“So these people at a club like this are so important. Maybe they don’t always get the credit they deserve, don’t always get the limelight and stuff like that.
“But when he walked back in the changing room there, I think he got a nice reception.
“He is a well-loved player; he has fitted in so well. It maybe took him a few weeks to actually talk to any of us! He was a bit nervous, but once he settled in, he showed his quality as well.
“Forget about the personality, he has shown his composure, his quality on the ball; the little header and pass out to me was [a risk, laughs].”
The former England U21 international has had to be patient, with that second-half display only his second outing for Liverpool.
But, he didn’t let the side down one bit, and with the injury-stricken Mamardashvili now set to be out for several weeks, and Alisson still sidelined, he might well have to become used to this first-team spotlight, as Crystal Palace come to Anfield this approaching weekend.
He was clearly over the moon at the full-time whistle, when he was also speaking to LFCTV.
Woodman’s reaction to his late Merseyside Derby cameo
Playing for the likes of Preston, Swansea City, and Newcastle United over the years, Woodman isn’t a stranger to some big contests.
But, this late appearance for Slot’s men, on such a high-stakes stage, must be a career highlight, now, for the 29-year-old.
When speaking to LFCTV after the game, he hailed the experience as “unbelievable”: “It was a moment that I was waiting for and probably ready for as well.
“I’ve trained hard all season. I didn’t think it would come but it’s obviously amazing to do it in a Merseyside derby and then to win it like we did was unbelievable.
“It was a really nice moment for me and a nice moment for my family as well, so I’m pleased.”
It remains to be seen if Woodman can deliver an assured performance for a full 90 minutes, as he further admitted that this substitute appearance made him “nervous.”
Yet, he will need to grasp this fantastic opportunity with both gloves when Liverpool host Crystal Palace at Anfield on Saturday with Liverpool’s injury dilemma in between the sticks, thankfully solved, by an unexpected hero.
