Freddie Woodman is enjoying Premier League success with Liverpool, four years since leaving Liverpool
Andy Woodman with his son Freddie Woodman during their time together at Newcastle United back in 2014
Andy Woodman with his son Freddie Woodman during their time together at Newcastle United back in 2014(Image: 2014 Getty Images)
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It was a weekend the Woodman family would never forget.
On Saturday, April 18, Bromley's promotion to League One for the first time in the club's history was confirmed, with former Newcastle goalkeeper coach Andy Woodman steering the Ravens to a second promotion in three years as the club's manager.
24 hours later, Woodman's son, Freddie, was thrust into the limelight when he was summoned to replace the injured Giorgi Mamardashvili in Liverpool's goal for the final 32 minutes of their Merseyside Derby win over Everton.
It was a full circle moment for Newcastle United fans seeing Woodman keep goal in the Premier League, almost four years since he left St James' Park to join Preston North End.
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For years, Woodman was heralded as the club's future number one goalkeeper and excitement was high after he played a pivotal role in England's under-20 World Cup win in 2017. After two successful years on loan with Swansea City, he was finally handed his chance at the start of the 2021/22 season.
Having previously made four appearances for Newcastle in the FA Cup, injuries to Martin Dubravka and Karl Darlow handed Woodman his opportunity in the Premier League.
He saved a penalty from Michail Antonio in the opening game of the season against West Ham United, only for Tomas Soucek to bundle home the rebound as the Hammers condemned the Magpies to a 4-2 defeat.
A 2-0 loss to Aston Villa and a penalty shootout defeat to Burnley in the second round of the Carabao Cup followed before James Ward-Prowse's last gasp penalty defied Woodman a first league win at Newcastle in a 2-2 draw.
Newcastle then travelled to take on Manchester United, with the world's cameras shining on Old Trafford for the second debut of Cristiano Ronaldo, who re-joined the club from Juventus prior to the game.
Ronaldo scored twice, benefitting from Woodman spilling a routine save for his first goal before firing the ball between the Newcastle goalkeeper's legs for the second one.
It proved to be Woodman's last game for the club. A chance missed, perhaps, as Steve Bruce restored Karl Darlow to the side for the next match against Leeds.
Bruno Fernandes beats Freddie Woodman with a stunning strike from range to put United 3-1 up against Newcastle. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
Bruno Fernandes beats Freddie Woodman with a stunning strike from range to put United 3-1 up against Newcastle. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
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Bruce was sacked after the club's takeover was approved six weeks later and was replaced by Eddie Howe. Woodman spent the second half of that season on loan at Bournemouth before leaving the club permanently in the summer.
Had Woodman's chance came under Howe, with a team on the up, rather than a team in the doldrums under Bruce, perhaps things may have turned out differently.
But those fine margins are what define careers and in a chat with Chronicle Live earlier this week, that is how Andy Woodman analysed his son's time on Tyneside.
"How can I say this without being a dad?" Woodman began. "I felt that his time at Newcastle was really brilliant for him. I don't think it's any secret that he didn't hit the heights that we all thought he'd hit, and I think there's circumstances for that, and I think there's margins.
"I think he got in a Newcastle team that was a team that was nowhere near as good as it is now, it was a wide open team in my opinion at the time, it wasn't a defensive minded team, he faced a lot of shots in those games, and he had margins that went against him.
"He saved the penalty and got the rebound. If he'd saved the penalty and they had won that game, that would have been a win on the board. Southampton got a penalty in the last minute, they scored it, to make it a draw so he had margins that just went against him.
"Obviously the Man United game, it's no secret, Freddie would be first to say it wasn't one of his best games, but he just didn't get any breaks. That's not me blaming anyone by the way, I just felt he probably got in the team at the wrong time.
"As a goalie, you can play brilliantly but you still need to get wins, and I kept saying that to Freddie at the time: 'Mate, you need to get one of these games and it's a win, because it will give you a couple more games, and then you can start building'. Steve Bruce was under pressure at the time, he didn't get the wins, and it didn't work out for him in that respect."
Woodman Jr backed up seeing out Liverpool's win over Everton by making his first Premier League start for the club last weekend against Crystal Palace.
Having joined the Reds on a free transfer as their third choice goalkeeper this summer after spending three seasons as Preston's number one in the Championship, Woodman has had to wait patiently in the wings behind Alisson and Mamardashvili.
But with injuries to both goalkeepers handing him his opportunity, he grabbed it with both hands by putting in a fantastic performance in their 3-1 win over the Eagles at Anfield.
Freddie Woodman of Liverpool celebrates victory
Freddie Woodman of Liverpool celebrates victory(Image: 2026 Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA)
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He made a number of eye-catching saves, including a pivotal stop that set off a chain of events for Andy Robertson to score at the other end. Alisson, watching in the stands, rose to applaud his team-mate. Robertson waxed lyrical about him post-match. The Kop End chanted Woodman's name and his father was beaming with pride at full-time.
"I've never doubted Freddie's ability," Woodman added. "I've never doubted that Freddie will be a top goalkeeper. Never. And he's getting a little chance to show it in a few games at Liverpool.
"That doesn't mean he's a top keeper all of a sudden, let me tell you, he needs a whole season in the Premier League to prove that, but I'm very proud of him and very proud of how he's acquitted himself and that he finds himself at one of the biggest clubs in the world."
As luck would have it, Liverpool head to Manchester United this weekend and Mamardashvili remains out injured and, as of Friday, Alisson had not returned to training. Woodman may get the nod again to start at Old Trafford in a high pressure game against their biggest rivals,
He may have waited the best part of five years to gain some closure on his Old Trafford nightmare with Newcastle but if last weekend's display didn't give him it, another positive performance on Sunday afternoon surely will.