Freddie Woodman is an English professional footballer known for his role as a goalkeeper for Premier League club Liverpool. He gained public attention for his England youth international career, winning the FIFA U-20 World Cup Golden Glove, and for being the godson of former England manager Gareth Southgate.
Quick Facts
Full Name: Frederick John Woodman
Age: 29 (born 4 March 1997)
Nationality: English
Occupation: Professional Footballer
Known For: Liverpool goalkeeper, England U-20 World Cup winner, godson of Gareth Southgate
Marital Status: Not confirmed
Children: Not confirmed
Early Life and Background
Woodman was born in Croydon, London, on 4 March 1997. He joined the Crystal Palace academy at the age of 14 after being recommended by a coach who also taught at his secondary school. As a boy, he attended matches at Crystal Palace with his grandfather and also served as a ball-boy and mascot.
His father, Andy Woodman, is a former professional goalkeeper who played for Crystal Palace and later became a coach at Arsenal and manager of League Two side Bromley. Through this connection, Freddie became the godson of Gareth Southgate, who formed a close bond with Andy Woodman during their time playing together at Crystal Palace.
Career and Achievements
Woodman began his senior career after moving to Newcastle United’s academy in 2013. He made his Newcastle debut on 6 January 2018 and went on to make nine senior appearances for the club, four of which came in the Premier League.
During his time at Newcastle, he had six loan spells at Hartlepool United, Crawley Town, Kilmarnock, Aberdeen, Swansea City, and AFC Bournemouth . In 2022, he joined Preston North End on a permanent deal, making 138 appearances across three seasons and winning the club’s Player of the Year award for 2022-23.
On 1 July 2025, Woodman joined Liverpool on a free transfer following the expiration of his contract with Preston. He joined as third-choice goalkeeper behind Alisson Becker and Giorgi Mamardashvili.
On the international stage Woodman represented England from U16 through U21 level. He won the 2014 UEFA European Under-17 Championship and the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup, receiving the Golden Glove award for the tournament’s best goalkeeper after saving a penalty in the final against Venezuela.
Major Event or Controversy
No major controversies are associated with Freddie Woodman.
Why He Is In the News
Woodman is currently in the news because he was thrown into the Merseyside derby against Everton on 18 April 2026 after an injury to first-choice goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili. With Alisson Becker already sidelined with a hamstring injury, Woodman was forced to make his Premier League debut for Liverpool in a high-pressure derby match.
Conclusion
Freddie Woodman is an experienced English goalkeeper who has built a solid career through loan spells and consistent performances in the Championship. Now at Liverpool, he represents a reliable depth option between the posts and continues to be defined by his youth international success and his family connection to Gareth Southgate.
