For Liverpool, amongst the celebrations on the weekend after beating local rivals Everton 2-1 in the Merseyside Derby on a 100th minute goal from captain Virgil van Dijk there were also fresh concerns on the injury front, with goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili suffering a knee injury likely to sideline him for around three weeks.
With first choice Alisson Becker already sidelined, it left the Reds down to their third-choice to step in following Mamardashvili’s setback. And it will mean the same for
this Saturday’s match against Crystal Palace. Fortunately, Liverpool have a rather over-qualified third-choice. And he was pleased by how he performed when given the chance against Everton.
“It was a moment I was waiting for and probably ready for as well,” Freddie Woodman said after the win when asked about the mindset of filling his role, waiting for a chance that might normally never come. “I’ve trained all season. I didn’t think it would come but it’s obviously amazing to do it in a Merseyside derby and 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. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous But, to be honest, I thought to myself as I ran on, I just saw our back four and thought, ‘I should be alright as they are proper players.’ I thought I wouldn’t be too busy and, to be fair, they looked after me.”
For Woodman, joining Liverpool as a 28-year-old last summer marked quite a change given he had played 40+ games in each of the past three seasons for Preston North End in the Championship, meaning he went from starting every match to not being on the bench more often than not. Then, suddenly, the Merseyside Derby.
“It was just unbelievable to make my debut in the Premier League and to win like we did was special,” Woodman added. “I hope [Alisson] is back fit and I hope Giorgi is going to recover well, but I’ll just keep doing my role the best I can and that’s exactly what I’ve tried to do all season, just to try to be ready for 10 minutes or 20 minutes when I’m needed.”
