Boss: Best news for Ben Woodburn is the time he has

The Wales youth international was handed a senior debut for Liverpool in the closing moments of Saturday’s Premier League victory over Sunderland at Anfield.

He had previously caught the eye during a series of cameos in pre-season, when he scored twice, before continuing to progress at the Academy.

Klopp may rotate his team for the EFL Cup clash with Leeds United on Tuesday night and was asked during his pre-match press conference whether Woodburn is ready to start a game.

“Yes, I think so,” said the manager. “In this moment I thought it was a good idea: ‘Come on, he deserves it, let him go.’

“It was only a few minutes and of course I only gave him the opportunity because I think he is ready for it. Afterwards, I remembered that it’s quite difficult then to keep him back – not for him, not for me, but obviously for the public.

“Now we showed him for the first time in the Premier League. But the best news for him is there is so much time for him to improve and develop and all that stuff. And we will help him.

“He is a very, very promising guy, so we want to help him and we want to use him as early as possible. But there is no decision made when it will be – maybe tomorrow, maybe not.”

Klopp added: “But it’s not because I’m not happy with the development, only because we decide for another line-up. But he and a lot of other guys are really on a good way.

“We have to show sometimes that it’s not only a good way, but that we know it. We have to show that when they earn something, we give something back.

“Ben was the man who got it in this moment. It’s really good, the work at the Academy at the moment, how we work together and all that stuff.

“There are a lot of promising guys there. We like this and we see all of this, all the development. Sometimes you have the opportunity to show all that we saw it.”