Former Liverpool youngster part of history as non-league side knock out FA Cup holders

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Former Liverpool academy forward Max Woltman played a memorable role in one of the most extraordinary FA Cup shocks in history, as sixth-tier Macclesfield knocked out holders Crystal Palace in the third round. Coming off the bench, Woltman was part of a non-league side that sits over 100 places below their Premier League opponents, yet produced a 2-1 victory that has been described as the biggest upset the competition has seen.

Macclesfield, a phoenix club reformed in 2020 after the demise of Macclesfield Town, have been on a rapid rise through the lower leagues. Their cup run had already been historic for the club, but the win over Palace elevated it to national prominence. Goals from captain Paul Dawson just before half-time and Isaac Buckley-Ricketts on the hour gave John Rooney’s side a stunning 2-0 lead, before Yeremy Pino’s late free-kick set up a tense finale.[1][3]

The article highlights how Woltman, once a highly rated youngster at Liverpool who made his senior debut in the Champions League against AC Milan and featured in the FA Cup for the Reds, has rebuilt his career in non-league football.[6] After spells with Doncaster Rovers and Oxford United, his move to Macclesfield in October 2025 offered a new platform – and being involved in this seismic result has made him part of FA Cup folklore.

Beyond the individual story, the piece frames the result as a triumph of organisation, belief and intensity from Macclesfield against a Palace side featuring established internationals but lacking urgency and cohesion.[3][7] For Woltman, it represents a personal redemption arc: from the fringes at Anfield to a central figure in one of the most talked-about giant-killings of the modern era, underlining how former elite prospects can find new life and legacy away from the top flight.