Freddie Woodman hoping World Cup penalty save will see him into Newcastle team and godfather' England squad

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IT is the closing stages of an England training session three days before the Group F qualifier with Malta, and Daniel Sturridge has bent a left foot shot, high, heading towards the top corner of a goal at St George’s Park. The young goalkeeper stretches fully to his right and tips the ball to safety. It is another day in a summer Freddie Woodman will never forget.

In June, in the Under-20 World Cup final, and with just 15 minutes remaining, Woodman dived to his right and somehow managed to keep a left arm above his hip to tip away a penalty from Venezuela’s Adalbert Penaranda.

“I was watching penalties all week and all today just incase,” he said afterwards. It was England’s first global title in 51 years.

For that he travelled to Kensington Palace to meet the future king, Prince William, earlier this month. “He wanted a really deep insight into how we won it and what the experience was like,” said Woodman.

“He told me how excited he was when I made the penalty save. He was interested in our experiences in Korea. It makes me smile just thinking about it because I love my country and representing England and to go to meet the future king of the country was unbelievable.”

The call up to join the full England squad (Gareth Southgate is his godfather) came through injury to Jordan Pickford. He held his own with Joe Hart, Jack Butland and Tom Heaton.

“It was just great to work with them and be around them,” he added. “Then to be able to train with the squad was amazing. They asked me if I wanted to play in a practice game and I went straight in and I felt like I held my nerve.”

Woodman is still just 20 and yet to make a save in the Premier League, but it feels like that day is approaching. He was 14 when he moved to Newcastle, where his dad, the former goalkeeper Andy Woodman, was a coach,

“I was made up,” he said. “Being at Crystal Palace and then hearing Newcastle were interested in me was massive for me. It didn’t really sink in until I went up there and walked into the stadium; this is massive, this club is huge. Everyone in the city loves Newcastle. “Everyone is a Newcastle fan. Get into a taxi and the driver will speak to you about Newcastle. It is a fan driven club. I couldn’t wait to sign. On social media they are huge for me, supporting me.

“When I first came there was a lot of, ‘You're only here because of your dad’. I got that a lot. I felt I had to work 10 times harder than everyone else. I stayed back after training just to prove I'm not just here because of my old man.

“My dad played, it wasn't at the best level and he made mistakes. We talk about them to make sure I don't make those same mistakes. I have to take the right path professionally.

“I never used to play in goal. I always tried to be an outfielder. I got thrown in for a school session. After that session my teacher said to go for a trial at Crystal Palace.

“My dad was a goalkeeper so it’s always been in my family but it was never something I ever wanted to do when I was younger. I just fell into it. Then I fell in love with it. You’re making saves and you're helping the team.”

He played reserve team football for Newcastle in a friendly, at York City, when he was just 14, played for the club’s Under-18s when he was 15 and saved a penalty for England in a shoot-out against the Dutch when he was 17 to win the European Under-17 Championships.

His first taste of senior football came at Crawley (he went to Hartlepool and did not play) and then at Kilmarnock. The accolades kept coming.

He made it to the Newcastle United bench due to injury in 2014, but is there on merit now as the path has cleared. Matz Sels moved to Anderlecht on loan in the summer, Tim Krul joined Brighton and Woodman has moved ahead of Karl Darlow after last season’s first choice got injured.

On Monday, Woodman was back at Crawley, in goal for Newcastle’s Under-23 side. He made five saves and kept another clean sheet.

The Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez was eager to sign Willy Caballero and then Pepe Reina during the transfer window. He got neither. Instead, he has a possible England goalkeeper in waiting sat beside him in his dugout.