# Ben Woodburn
**Ben Woodburn** (Benjamin Luke Woodburn, born 1999) is a Welsh professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for Salford City. He is best known as the youngest goalscorer in Liverpool's history, a record he set at 17 years and 45 days in November 2016, and he went on to win senior caps for Wales, scoring on his international debut.[1](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/ben-woodburn/profil/spieler/344015) • [2](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/info/ben-woodburn)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name / born | Benjamin Luke Woodburn, 1999, Nottingham, England; Welsh citizenship[1](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/ben-woodburn/profil/spieler/344015) |
| Position | Attacking midfield; also listed as a left or right winger, right-footed[1](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/ben-woodburn/profil/spieler/344015) |
| Liverpool record | 11 first-team appearances and 1 goal, 2016-2018[2](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/info/ben-woodburn) |
| Record goal | Youngest goalscorer in Liverpool history at 17 years and 45 days, in a 2-0 EFL Cup quarter-final win over Leeds United on 29 November 2016[2](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/info/ben-woodburn) • [3](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/first-team/245135-stats-liverpool-fc-s-youngest-ever-first-team-goalscorers) |
| Wales career | Debut goal against Austria on 2 September 2017; 11 caps and 2 goals[4](https://www.lfchistory.net/players/1306) • [1](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/ben-woodburn/profil/spieler/344015) |
| Later clubs | Preston North End (2022), Salford City from July 2024 on a two-year deal[2](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/info/ben-woodburn) • [5](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cldyxg9q7n4o) |
## Liverpool career
Woodburn joined Liverpool's Academy at eight years old and rose through the ranks to the senior squad.[4](https://www.lfchistory.net/players/1306) He made his competitive debut as a late substitute against [Sunderland](https://www.edgepedia.org/sunderland) on 26 November 2016, coming on in the 90th minute for [Georginio Wijnaldum](https://www.edgepedia.org/georginio-wijnaldum) in a 2-0 win.[2](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/info/ben-woodburn) • [6](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/features/320685-ben-woodburn-and-liverpool-s-youngest-ever-goalscorers)
**The record goal.** Three days later, in the [EFL Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/efl-cup) quarter-final against Leeds United at Anfield, Woodburn came on for Kevin Stewart after 67 minutes with the score at 0-0. [Divock Origi](https://www.edgepedia.org/divock-origi) put Liverpool ahead ten minutes later, and in the 81st minute Woodburn latched onto Wijnaldum's pass and fired into the roof of the net from six yards out, sealing a 2-0 win and a place in the semi-finals.[6](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/features/320685-ben-woodburn-and-liverpool-s-youngest-ever-goalscorers) • [3](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/first-team/245135-stats-liverpool-fc-s-youngest-ever-first-team-goalscorers) At 17 years and 45 days he became the youngest goalscorer in the club's history, taking the record from [Michael Owen](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-owen), who had been 17 years and 143 days when he scored against Wimbledon in May 1997.[4](https://www.lfchistory.net/players/1306) Owen's record had stood for 19 years.[6](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/features/320685-ben-woodburn-and-liverpool-s-youngest-ever-goalscorers)
Manager [Jürgen Klopp](https://www.edgepedia.org/jurgen-klopp), who had said before the match that Woodburn was "mentally" ready for first-team football, acknowledged after the game that managing expectations around the teenager would be difficult, and described him as having the "perfect balance of talent and attitude".[7](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/football/fa-league-cups/ben-woodburn-liverpool-vs-leeds-goal-jurgen-klopp-efl-cup-a7446616.html) • [6](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/features/320685-ben-woodburn-and-liverpool-s-youngest-ever-goalscorers)
Woodburn totaled 11 appearances and 1 goal for Liverpool over the following 18 months, without starting a game in that first season, and spent time on loan at Sheffield United, Oxford United, Blackpool, and Hearts.[2](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/info/ben-woodburn) • [7](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/football/fa-league-cups/ben-woodburn-liverpool-vs-leeds-goal-jurgen-klopp-efl-cup-a7446616.html) He departed when his contract expired in the summer of 2022 and joined Preston North End.[2](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/info/ben-woodburn)
## Wales
Woodburn was born in [Nottingham](https://www.edgepedia.org/nottingham), which made him eligible for England, but he grew up in Chester and qualified for Wales through his Welsh grandfather. He had been part of the Wales set-up since he was 13, representing the country at under-16, under-18, and under-19 level.[8](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/international/wales-squad-liverpool-ben-woodburn-england-world-cup-gareth-bale-aaron-ramsey-a7632981.html) In March 2017, manager Chris Coleman named the 17-year-old in a senior squad for a World Cup qualifier against the [Republic of Ireland](https://www.edgepedia.org/republic-of-ireland), alongside [Gareth Bale](https://www.edgepedia.org/gareth-bale) and Aaron Ramsey; playing would have made him ineligible for England thereafter. Coleman said at the announcement that Woodburn had earned his place, and the call-up would have made him the third youngest player ever to represent Wales, after his Liverpool teammate Harry Wilson and Bale.[8](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/international/wales-squad-liverpool-ben-woodburn-england-world-cup-gareth-bale-aaron-ramsey-a7632981.html)
On 2 September 2017, in his first senior appearance, Woodburn scored the only goal of the match against Austria, a strike from about 25 yards that earned him the nickname "The Prince of Wales".[4](https://www.lfchistory.net/players/1306) • [6](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/features/320685-ben-woodburn-and-liverpool-s-youngest-ever-goalscorers) He finished his Wales career, as listed by Transfermarkt, with 11 caps and 2 goals.[1](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/ben-woodburn/profil/spieler/344015)
## After Liverpool
After leaving Liverpool in 2022, Woodburn signed for Preston North End, where he made 63 appearances in total before his release at the end of the 2023-24 season.[2](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/info/ben-woodburn) • [5](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cldyxg9q7n4o) In July 2024 he joined Salford City of League Two on a two-year deal, reuniting with manager [Karl Robinson](https://www.edgepedia.org/karl-robinson), under whom he had played on loan at Oxford United. Woodburn cited the connection with Robinson as a reason for the move.[5](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cldyxg9q7n4o) In the 2025-26 season he made 27 League Two appearances for Salford, scoring three goals and providing two assists.[9](https://theanalyst.com/players/5070/ben-woodburn)
## References
1. [Ben Woodburn, player profile, Transfermarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/ben-woodburn/profil/spieler/344015)
2. [Past players: Ben Woodburn, Liverpool FC](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/info/ben-woodburn)
3. [Stats: Liverpool FC's youngest ever first-team goalscorers, Liverpool FC](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/first-team/245135-stats-liverpool-fc-s-youngest-ever-first-team-goalscorers)
4. [Ben Woodburn, LFChistory.net](https://www.lfchistory.net/players/1306)
5. [Salford sign Wales midfielder Woodburn, BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cldyxg9q7n4o)
6. [Ben Woodburn and Liverpool's youngest ever goalscorers, Liverpool FC](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/features/320685-ben-woodburn-and-liverpool-s-youngest-ever-goalscorers)
7. [Liverpool vs Leeds: Jurgen Klopp accepts it will be difficult to manage the hype around Ben Woodburn, The Independent](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/football/fa-league-cups/ben-woodburn-liverpool-vs-leeds-goal-jurgen-klopp-efl-cup-a7446616.html)
8. [Liverpool teenager named in Wales World Cup qualifier squad, The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/international/wales-squad-liverpool-ben-woodburn-england-world-cup-gareth-bale-aaron-ramsey-a7632981.html)
9. [Ben Woodburn, Opta Analyst](https://theanalyst.com/players/5070/ben-woodburn)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Men's footballers of the British Isles (modern era) › Welsh footballers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license