Freddie Woodman's dad was Gareth Southgate's best man and wrote book together
Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from Liverpool.com or go back to LFC Live.
Former England head coach Gareth Southgate is Freddie Woodman's godfather, as he has been best friends with his father for several decades and was even the best man at his weddingAndy Woodman has been a best friend of Gareth Southgate for decades(Image: MI News/NurPhoto)Liverpool has been forced to turn to Freddie Woodman in goal after injuries to Alisson and Giorgio Mamardashvili, and the 29-year-old has close ties with former England head coach Gareth Southgate.Woodman made his Premier League debut for Liverpool on Sunday, who depended on him during the 2-1 Merseyside derby win over Everton. Woodman may be a low-profile goalkeeper, but his father is best friends with Southgate, and they have a long history.READ MORE: Liverpool injury latest as 9 players now on Arne Slot's growing listREAD MORE: Liverpool hero Jamie Carragher defends winger after 'harsh' Roy Keane criticismWoodman's father, Andy, is currently the head coach of Bromley and is on the verge of winning League Two after already securing promotion.
Southgate, meanwhile, has been a Premier League coach and also led England to two major finals.Andy Woodman and Gareth Southgate released a book on their friendship in 2003(Image: 2004 David Levenson)"It's funny, Gareth and I are both dealing with similar problems albeit he is manager of England and I'm manager of Bromley," Woodman told BBC Sport in 2023. Southgate is also Freddie Woodman's godfather, and their friendship was documented in the book, 'Woody and Nord: A Football Friendship,' which they wrote together.Andy Woodman helped Freddie develop his craft as a goalkeeping coach, and he also learned under legendary managers Arsene Wenger and Alan Pardew during his career.
Now, his stock has soared since becoming Bromley's head coach.Freddie Woodman made his Premier League debut for Liverpool on Sunday(Image: 2026 Chris Brunskill/Fantasista)"I worked closely with some top managers and looked at what they did and learned," Woodman said. I always felt I had the personality and temperament to be a manager."While Andy Woodman's focus is on seeing out the League Two season as champions with Bromley, Freddie will play a key role in Liverpool's pursuit of Champions League soccer.