Football
Glenn Price, Liverpool correspondent 7y

Liverpool's Ben Woodburn will choose Wales over England - Coleman

Wales coach Chris Coleman has said he is confident that Liverpool's Ben Woodburn will play for them at senior international level.

Woodburn, born in Chester, England, has played for the Welsh youth teams from the under-15s and indicated that he sees his international future with Wales.

The forward became Liverpool's became Liverpool's youngest ever goal scorerĀ at 17 years and 45 days when he scored against Leeds in the EFL Cup, and Coleman told Wales Online: "He's said he's committed to Wales, and I'm happy to take his word for it.

"He's been brought up in the Welsh system and done very well for the various sides he has played for, so we have full faith in him.

"We're aware he does qualify for England but he's always represented us well and represented us proudly -- and the signs are good that he will keep progressing and continue to do that."

The Wales coach said Liverpool counterpart Jurgen Klopp was correct to take a patient approach with Woodburn but added: "He's right in saying he can't ignore him if he continues to progress as he is.

"And it will be the same with us -- not that we've ignored him. He's looked very good and shown a lot of quality.

"You have to balance between protecting players and pushing them on, but we're delighted with the progress Ben is making."

Meanwhile, former Liverpool striker Michael Owen has said Klopp is the "perfect" manager to nurture Woodburn's talent.

Owen, previously Liverpool's youngest goal scorer before Woodburn beat his record by 98 days, told the official Liverpool website: "As soon as he [Klopp] came in, he showed his interest in the youth setup.

"Ben's obviously still very young, so it's a long game for him. He's got to be managed throughout his career, not just for the here and now.

"There are one or two injuries at the moment so he might get a little bit more of a game than he would in normal circumstances, but I think he'll be managed carefully over the next year or two.

"When I saw him originally he played in midfield and burst forward from deeper positions, but he can play in attacking positions as well.

"So I think he'll be managed -- he won't be starting every game, put it that way."

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