Liverpool record-breaker without club aged 24 after being released by Championship team

Jürgen Klopp leaves Liverpool with a glittering record of bringing through young players. The likes of Jarell Quansah, Bobby Clark and Conor Bradley are hugely exciting prospects who have already been given a platform ahead of Arne Slot's arrival.

However, not everyone has been able to build on early promise. Ben Woodburn still holds the record as the club's youngest goalscorer, netting in the League Cup quarter-final in 2016 shortly after turning 17 — but he has just suffered a blow, with his current club set to release him.

His Liverpool career finally came to an end in 2022, some six years after his debut. But he would make just 10 more senior appearances for the Reds in that time, with numerous loans failing to bear much fruit.

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Woodburn's final loan move to Hearts in 2021/22 was the pick of the bunch, earning him a free transfer to Championship side Preston North End that summer. But the two-year deal he penned is now coming to an end, and it appears there is no appetite to agree an extension.

A regular presence off the bench in both campaigns with Preston, the former Liverpool man has never cemented himself as a Championship regular, and will now look for a new club and a fresh start. Still just 24, he will presumably have options, but they will not be as lofty as the expectations from a few short years ago.

At Liverpool, Kaide Gordon has come the closest to beating Woodburn's record; he was less than two months older when he netted his first goal, which came against Shrewsbury in the FA Cup in 2022. This season, Lewis Koumas and Jayden Danns both entered the top 10.

Liverpool.com says: As well as that iconic breakthrough goal, some Liverpool fans will also remember Woodburn's final pre-season before ultimately departing the club. He enjoyed a surprisingly prominent role as Klopp repurposed him in central midfield, where he was one of the team's better performers.

There's little doubt that the talent is still there, and Woodburn just needs to find the club that is the right fit. There's so much that can go wrong in youth development, and the Welsh international has suffered far too much disruption.

It's possible that another Championship side will be willing to take a chance, but Woodburn may even benefit from dropping down another level. Wherever he ends up, Liverpool will continue to root for its youngest-ever goalscorer from afar.