Godson of England manager Gareth Southgate and son of former Crystal Palace keeper Andy Woodman, Freddie Woodman is out to make a name for himself over the coming months at Kilmarnock.
The 19-year-old has signed a loan deal with the Ayrshire club until the end of the season following a move from parent club Newcastle and he is keen to make an impact at Lee Clarke’s side.
Woodman is able to call upon the experience of his father for support while he is also assured of a warm welcome any time he wants to pick the phone up to the England boss. Yet, this is the season where he wants recognition for standing on his own two feet.
Any involvement from Woodman may seem harsh on Jamie MacDonald, who has arguably been Kilmarnock’s best player in recent seasons, but Woodman has shipped up at Rugby Park with the intention of playing games.
“I didn’t want to follow in my Dad’s footsteps when I was younger, I wanted to be a striker and score goals!” he smiled. “He has been massive in my career, though, we talk on the phone every day and I tell him how training went. My dad is great to learn from because he has been there and done it and he educates me in goalkeeping. He doesn’t want me to make the same mistakes he did, just to be the best keeper I can be.”
With Southgate as his godfather, Woodman’s family celebrations will forever be embroiled in football chat.
“You can’t choose your family can you?” he said. “People bring it up but it doesn’t bother me, I keep the performances up to the right level and do my own thing.
“It’s not his name or my dad’s I have to enhance now it’s mine. I wish him all the best with the England job, it’s great that he got it. I was delighted for him but when we go away with the national teams he treats me like a player and I treat him like the manager. We are no different to how he is with anyone else in that respect.”
Certainly, Clarke believes the teenager will add some stability to what has been a porous backline this term. Kilmarnock have shipped 35 league goals – only Ross County and Inverness have lost more.
“We have got a goalkeeper in who is very well thought of and along with Angus Gunn at Manchester City are classed as two of the best young goalkeepers in England,” said the Kilmarnock manager. “I know for a fact that Newcastle have had numerous seven-figure offers for him to leave.
“We believe that him coming through the door will give us a different dimension and push Jamie [MacDonald] and Devlin McKay. In an ideal world I would like Devlin to go out on loan and get some experience. “
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