Ben Woodburn
A Welsh football prodigy who became his nation's youngest-ever goalscorer, carrying the weight of immense early hype.
Born 1999 (age 27)·Wales international footballer·Birthday: October 15·Generation Z
Biography
Ben Woodburn's story is one of precocious talent and the intense pressure that follows. Bursting onto the scene at Liverpool as a teenager, his crisp left foot and intelligent movement sparked immediate excitement. His moment of national folklore arrived in 2017 when, just minutes into his senior Wales debut, he fired a winner against Austria, etching his name as the country's youngest-ever scorer. The path from there proved winding; expectations at Anfield were sky-high, leading to loan spells across the Championship and a permanent move to Preston. While his club career settled into a steady rhythm, his early flash of brilliance for Wales remains a defining image of potential, a reminder of the thrilling and often unforgiving nature of football's spotlight on youth.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Ben was born in 1999, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Ben Was Born
The biggest hits of 1999
#1 Movie
Star Wars: Episode I
Best Picture
American Beauty
#1 TV Show
ER
Ben's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1999Born
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2004Started school
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2012Became a teenager
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2015Could drive
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2017Could vote
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2020Turned 21
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 27 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Became the youngest-ever goalscorer for the Wales national team at age 17 years and 322 days.
- Made his senior debut for Liverpool FC at age 17 in a Premier League match against Sunderland.
- Scored on his professional debut for Liverpool in a League Cup quarter-final against Leeds United.
- Won the UEFA European Under-19 Championship with Wales in 2017.
Did You Know?
He is a fluent Welsh speaker.
His first international goal came just five minutes after coming on as a substitute for his senior Wales debut.
He was coached at Liverpool's academy by former player Steven Gerrard's cousin, Jonathon Gerrard.
He chose to represent Wales over England at international level.
“I just want to play football and help the team win.”
