The goalkeeper has put pen to paper on a new deal to ensure his stay with the club will continue into the coming seasons.
Speaking to Liverpoolfc.com at the team’s current base in Chicago, Woodman offered an insight into what life has been like for him over the last 12 months since arriving at Anfield – and why he’s excited to prolong the journey.
Read on for a full transcript of our chat with the stopper in the USA.
Freddie, congratulations. How pleased are you to sign this new deal?
Yeah, absolutely delighted, to be honest. Off the back of last season, personally it was amazing for me and then to come back in pre-season and there be an offer for me from the club to stay here longer, I was made up. I’m just so happy that I could re-sign here and be a part of this amazing club.
Is it a feeling of pride that you’re going to stay longer with Liverpool?
Yeah, absolutely. Pride and so many emotions, really. Last season I came in and did the role I was doing and then when I got the opportunity to play, especially the [Crystal] Palace game, it just felt like a real connection to the fans and just a massive understanding of them. Now I get the chance to stay here for longer and to be a part of it again is unbelievable, and me and my family are delighted.
Can you even begin to sum up the last year of your life?
No, not at all. Not at all. When I signed for this club, I knew my role was going to be different and I dove head-first into that. I feel like everyone around the club saw I was doing that role well. Then, when I got the chance to play, it was just unbelievable... that moment at Everton away, in the manner we won the game and being involved in it was incredible. It was a crazy season last year personally. You know, I never, ever thought I’d be able to play for Liverpool Football Club – and I got to do that and it was amazing.
Just on that, the spell in April, as you say you came on at Everton and we won the game in the 100th minute, then you play against Palace at Anfield and you even get a standing ovation from the Kop. Could those few days have gone any better for you?
No, not at all. I knew the importance of the derby. This club is amazing, it has people in the building that are Liverpool. You speak to the staff, you talk to the kitmen, they’re Liverpool through and through and they tell you how important moments are. So, coming on in that game, I knew how important the moment was. I knew that it was Robbo [Andy Robertson]’s last derby and it was Mo [Salah]’s last derby, so I knew the value of the game, and to be a part of that was insane. Then to have my moment at Anfield... it was probably up there as one of the best days of my life. I felt like in that first half the whole of the Kop were defending the goal with me and to have that connection and to get recognised after the game, it was a dream come true really for me.
You seemed to be emotional on the pitch as well when you had that moment with the Kop...
Yeah, because ultimately when you’re playing in different places and your career is... when you get injured and you have dark moments, to have that moment in front of such a famous, iconic stand and with the fan base, you just never think it was going to happen. I felt like all week building up, this club just feels like it gets behind people and going into the game I felt nervous but I felt confident [as well] because every single person who was a Liverpool fan wanted me to do well. I’ve never really experienced something like that before. So, to get that chance at the end of the game with the recognition, like I said, it was a dream come true.
Since you’ve come here, you’ve really settled into the club, settled into the training ground and you’ve made some really good friends here. What’s it like coming in every day and having relationships like that with people you call mates?
It’s the best job in the world. You get to come into AXA and I’ve managed to create some really amazing relationships with so many players. I’ve got people like Curtis [Jones], Conor [Bradley], Joe Gomez, Cody [Gakpo], Robbo... they helped me settle into the club really well. That is massive. You’re coming into a changing room full of superstars, it was a big change, but those guys helped me settle so well. I just came in, tried to be myself and I think people appreciated that. They appreciated that I just wanted to come in and work as hard as I can. Hopefully I’ve built relationships beyond this club and friendships that will stay the distance.
Did you ever imagine it would be like that when you came to Liverpool, that you would build those kinds of relationships? Because, as you say, here’s a dressing room with a lot of big names in it…
No, not really, to be honest. You see these players as superstars and that’s what they are. You watch them on Super Sunday, you watch them on Monday Night Football, watch them at World Cups and then when you actually get to know them, they’re great people. I think it’s credit to them guys really, how approachable they are and how good as people they are. That’s also the staff as well. I’ve been to many football clubs, but I’ve never come into a football club where every staff member is just top drawer. I felt when I came into the club I got the exact same treatment as the top players and that was unbelievable for me.
We’re now a couple of days into our pre-season tour of the USA. How’s it going so far? How are you finding it?
Amazing. Obviously getting to know the new manager and the coaching staff. Coming out here, I feel like in these pre-season tours you really get to bond as a team and obviously get used to the staff. It’s been tough, it’s been really good and I think it’s exciting. It’s obviously the beginning of the trip but I’m excited for the next couple of days.
You mentioned it there, but what has it been like working with the new staff?
It’s been great, it’s been refreshing. It’s opening your eyes to new ideas. Fortunately, now we’ve obviously got the new goalkeeping coach, Alejandro [Rosalen], that’s come in and for me personally it’s just another style to learn, a fresh voice and new ideas. I’m a bit of a sponge and I love to learn and try different things and adapt, so I just see this as another opportunity to do that. Just adding more tools to my armoury, really.
We actually caught you on camera saying ‘Who’d be a goalkeeper?’ after the session on Tuesday... was it a tough one?
It was a tough one, yeah! It was a lot of up and downs and a lot of diving around and Alejandro definitely put his marker down there for sure! But I love the work. Like I said, I come to AXA every day with a smile on my face because I love just working and grinding. These pre-season trips are all about that so I quite enjoy it.
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As you say, it is about the work here and it’s about what you guys are doing on the pitch. It is a week of double sessions as well, but what are you doing in between to kind of chill out a bit and relax after them?
I’m looking after Conor Bradley at the minute, to be honest. We’re going out for our coffees and he’s always asking me to come to his room and have a chat and that. Like I said earlier, it’s just a chance to be amongst friends and chat. We haven’t seen each other in the off-season, so them moments in between training when you get to spend time with the lads, it’s quite fun, to be fair.
A lot of the players we’ve spoken to so far this summer have spoken about a positive mentality around the place. Is that something you’re picking up on as well?
Yeah, there definitely is. There’s an energy to us for sure and I think that’s only going to get stronger when the lads come back from the World Cup as well. I think it will just keep building and building. You can definitely feel, especially from day one, there’s a positive energy around and there is a really good, refreshing feel to the place. Let’s hope it will build over the course of the season and we can have a really successful one.
Just on that, what are your personal ambitions for the forthcoming season?
Just exactly the same as last year, really: to do everything I can in the role that I do every single day, because I might be called upon at any moment. Last season, I know it sounds crazy, but I was ready for that moment when it was at Everton. I worked all season just because I knew I might just have to play a small role, so that will be my goal again this season. It will just be to train and train and train until that moment comes. When it does come, I know I’ll be well prepared and ready for the moment.
