Amid the chaos that was Macclesfield’s incredible victory over FA Cup holders Crystal Palace, was a former Liverpool academy graduate celebrating the biggest upset in the competition’s history.
Ex-Red part of FA Cup history: A quick look
• Historic shock: Former Liverpool youngster Max Woltman was part of the Macclesfield squad that dumped holders Crystal Palace out.
• Record gap: The 2-1 win bridged a 117-place gap, the largest in the FA Cup‘s 155-year history.
• Guehi watch: The upset could accelerate Liverpool’s pursuit of Marc Guehi, with Palace now out of both domestic cups, and he would be eligible for the Reds in the competition.
Max Woltman, who joined the club’s academy at seven, played two first-team matches for Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp before he left in 2023 for League One side Oxford United.
He played only three times before injury struck and he was released at the end of last season, leaving him with a new club to find over the summer.
After taking part in a pre-season camp designed for unsigned players to stay fit and find their next club, he signed for Macclesfield, a non-league club in the sixth tier of English football.
And they made history on Saturday by becoming the first team in the sixth-tier to knock out a top-flight club in the FA Cup‘s 155-year history, with holders Palace bowing out in the third round.
There are 117 places between Macclesfield (14th in National League North) and Crystal Palace (13th in the Premier League), and Woltman watched it all unfold from the bench.
The 22-year-old had featured in the previous two rounds of the competition for the non-league side, but manager John Rooney kept the former Liverpool attacker on the bench throughout Saturday’s historic 2-1 win.
Macclesfield’s goals came either side of half-time, with Palace scoring from a free-kick in the 90th minute to create some late drama, but Oliver Glasner’s injury-hit side had no further response.
MILAN, ITALY - Tuesday, December 7, 2021: Liverpool's manager Jürgen Klopp (C) prepares to bring on substitutes Max Woltman (L) and Conor Bradley (R) for their debuts during the UEFA Champions League Group B Matchday 6 game between AC Milan and Liverpool FC at the Stadio San Siro. Liverpool won 2-1. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
It means Woltman’s Macclesfield are in the fourth round draw, which will take place at Anfield prior to their kickoff against Barnsley on Monday.
Woltman has made 10 appearances for his new club so far this season, of which three were from the start, including in the FA Cup second round.
Marc Guehi exits FA Cup – any implications?
LONDON, ENGLAND - Sunday, August 10, 2025: Crystal Palace's captain Marc Guéhi during the FA Community Shield match between Crystal Palace FC and Liverpool FC at Wembley Stadium. Palace won 3-1 on penalties after a 2-2 draw. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Guehi played the full 90 minutes at Macclesfield and was seen having intense conversations with members of the away end after the match, with their title defence over at the first hurdle.
It will have prompted further eagerness for Liverpool to make their move for the centre-back this month, with Palace now out of both domestic cups and currently 13th in the table.
The Eagles are, however, expected to qualify for the Europa Conference League knockouts, which Guehi will have ambitions of doing well in.
• READ: Guehi signing should now be a January non-negotiable for Liverpool
Liverpool, obviously, have the Champions League to offer and there will be guaranteed game time due to the injuries and need for immediate competition and rotation in the backline – and he could also feature in the FA Cup after recent rule changes.
It remains to be seen if Liverpool will come to the table this window, but earlier in the week it was reported that Palace anticipate an offer from the Reds.