Young Newcastle United goalkeeper Freddie Woodman deserves his chance to test himself at a higher level after starring in England’s FIFA Under-20 World Cup glory.
The Three Lions beat Venezuela 1-0 in the Final in South Korea on Sunday lunchtime with Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin netting the only goal of the match in the first half.
The real hero of the match turned out to be Magpies keeper Woodman who made a remarkable one-handed save from an Adalberto Penaranda penalty kick late in the match to preserve his side’s lead and ultimately win the competition for the first time for his country.
The victory was England’s first on the world stage since that famous World Cup Final victory over Germany in 1966 and with keeper Woodman having failed to make his senior Newcastle United debut so far, the player now needs a greater platform to display his talents.
Woodman has been loaned out to Hartlepool United, Crawley Town and Kilmarnock in his career to date and while a place in his parent club’s first team starting XI could be some way off, the youngster should be loaned out to a Sky Bet Championship club next term to prove his worth.
The keeper has made just 26 senior appearances at club level but Woodman’s performances in the FIFA Under-20 World Cup have indicated that the youngster has a bright future and Newcastle United must help the player reach his full potential.
