Preston North End are delighted to confirm the signing of Ben Woodburn on a one-year deal, with the club having the option of an extra year.
Following the expiration of his contract with Liverpool this summer, the 22-year-old has been on trial with PNE during the opening week of pre-season.
The midfielder is a player Ryan Lowe has tried to sign at previous clubs, and with Ben having impressed in training and in the opening friendly against Bamber Bridge – in which he got on the scoresheet – the two will now work together during the upcoming season.
Ben said: “I’m very excited for the deal to be done. Obviously I’ve been on trial for a week now and things have gone pretty well, so I’m buzzing to get started as a Preston player.
“Obviously when I got called and told I could come and train, I was buzzing. I wanted to show the gaffer what I could do, luckily I’ve earned a contract out of it.
“He’s tried to get me at his older clubs a few times and unfortunately things haven’t worked out there, but now we can work together and I’m a fan of how he plays football, so I’m really excited to get going.”
Woodburn’s senior career started much earlier than most, being handed his debut by Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool at the age of just 17.
He scored three days later, becoming the Reds’ youngest goalscorer of all time, and he also became Wales’ second youngest scorer in 2017, hitting a superb strike from distance against Austria on his international debut.
While still on the books of Liverpool, Woodburn spent time away from Anfield on loan spells with Sheffield United, Oxford United, Blackpool and most recently Heart of Midlothian.
Manager Ryan Lowe said: “Ben’s someone I’ve taken a real interest in over the past few years since he burst on to the scene at Liverpool at a young age.
“He’s a fantastic lad with a fantastic talent who’s had it up and down over the past few years, but we feel that at the tender age of 22, we can develop him into a top player for Preston North End.
“We’ve only had him with us for a week but you can see the quality he’s got. He’s a good footballer with a good footballing brain and he’s a good acquisition for us.
“He can play in numerous positions. He can play as a ten, just off the striker, or in any of the eight positions, whether it be left or right.
“He’s probably even capable of playing right wing back, so he’s someone who can play a few positions which is always nice, but ultimately he’s an attack-minded player who we feel can create and score goals.”