Andy Robertson was keen to show his appreciation for Freddie Woodman after the goalkeeper was thrown in at the deep end for his first Premier League appearance for Liverpool in the Merseyside derby on Sunday.
With Alisson Becker already sidelined, the Reds then lost second-choice netminder Giorgi Mamardashvili to injury early in the second half, which led to the Londoner being summoned from the bench in the 58th minute.
The 27-year-old’s only previous outing for LFC came in the Carabao Cup defeat to Crystal Palace six months ago, but he did what was asked for him against Everton yesterday in a tense derby which was settled by Virgil van Dijk’s stoppage-time winner.
Speaking after the match, Robertson singled out Woodman for praise as the rarely-seen goalkeeper stepped up in his team’s hour of need at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
The Scottish left-back said (via Liverpool Echo): “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.
“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 who 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.”
When Liverpool signed Woodman last summer after he was released by Preston, some cynics may have deemed it a mere box-ticking exercise to satisfy homegrown quota requirements for domestic and European squads.
However, Robertson and his teammates clearly appreciate the effort that the 29-year-old has consistently put in behind the scenes, even with the realisation that his matchday involvement would be minimal given his status as third-choice goalkeeper ordinarily.
His maiden top-flight appearance for the Reds could hardly have been in more challenging circumstances, being thrust into action with most of the second half still to play in an away Merseyside derby poised at 1-1 and his team badly needing a result to bolster their Champions League prospects.
Want more Empire of the Kop coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust
It was anything but a token inclusion in a fixture of little consequence at the tail end of the season, a scenario that Liverpool enjoyed for four matches last May after they’s already secured the Premier League title.
Woodman did what was needed of him yesterday, making one good save and dealing well with a couple of dangerous bouncing balls, and even having the audacity to rush out to the edge of his penalty area and head the ball to Robertson under pressure.
Mamardashvili has since provided reassurance that his injury isn’t a serious one, so it remains to be seen who’ll be starting in goal for the Reds at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Even if the Englishman doesn’t play again for the rest of the season, his contribution to the Merseyside derby win in very challenging circumstances will be remembered and appreciated by everyone of an LFC persuasion.
Welcome to our Live Comments section, where new comments will appear automatically
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Notify me of follow-up comments by email.
Notify me of new posts by email.
