Five reasons why Ben Woodburn has the world at his feet

Modified Sep 07, 2017 18:41 GMT

Wales v Austria - FIFA 2018 World Cup Qualifier — Ben Woodburn celebrates his debut goal for Wales against Austria

#1 It's what he reminds us of

Watch video clips of a teenage Ryan Giggs bursting onto the scene for Manchester United and Wales in the 1990s and you will see Ben Woodburn. Watch Gareth Bale storming past the Inter Milan defence in the colours of Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Champions League in 2010 and you will see Ben Woodburn. Watch the deceptive strength of a young Lionel Messi and how he controlled the ball under pressure and you will see Ben Woodburn. The boy is that special.

Of course, a lot can change before we see the best of Woodburn, and he has many years ahead of him before we find out just how good he can be. His style of play carries with it the risk of injury, and while he is already mentally mature, his rise to super-stardom needs to be carefully managed by those around him.

However, he has taken Wales a step closer to the World Cup finals, and if he does get to star on that particular stage, then the sky really is the limit for this prodigiously talented teenager.

About the author

As a freelance football writer, I have extensive experience of covering the European game for a wide range of top level digital platforms and printed publications.

I have performed a number of exclusive interviews with some of the biggest names in the football world, and have reported live from the finals of UEFA EURO, Champions League fixtures, Europa League fixtures, Women's Champions League fixtures as well as top international and club fixtures during the course of my career.

My role has enabled me to sit down exclusively with the likes of Thierry Henry, Edgar Davids, Gareth Bale, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Ryan Giggs, Aaron Ramsey and many others to discuss their experiences of competing at the very highest-level.

For Sportskeeda, I will be taking a closer look at the stories behind the stories from across the European game, with regular exclusive features on the players, clubs and managers making the headlines.

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Edited by Arvind Sriram