Freddie Woodman's dad was Gareth Southgate's best man and wrote book together

Former England head coach Gareth Southgate is Freddie Woodman's godfather, as he has been best friends with his father for several decades and was even the best man at his wedding

Andy Woodman has been a best friend of Gareth Southgate for decades(Image: MI News/NurPhoto)

Liverpool has been forced to turn to Freddie Woodman in goal after injuries to Alisson and Giorgio Mamardashvili, and the 29-year-old has close ties with former England head coach Gareth Southgate.

Woodman made his Premier League debut for Liverpool on Sunday, who depended on him during the 2-1 Merseyside derby win over Everton. With Alisson already out injured, Mamardashvili was stretchered off with a knee injury shortly after Everton striker Beto scored to make it 1-1.

Liverpool didn't concede while Woodman was on the field, and Virgil van Dijk became the hero with his winning goal in the final seconds. Woodman may be a low-profile goalkeeper, but his father is best friends with Southgate, and they have a long history.

Woodman's father, Andy, is currently the head coach of Bromley and is on the verge of winning League Two after already securing promotion. Southgate and Woodman were schoolboy apprentices at Crystal Palace 41 years ago, but their careers went in different directions.

Southgate went on to play for Palace, Aston Villa, Middlesbrough, and England, while Woodman was released and played in the lower leagues. Woodman then spent 15 years as a goalkeeper coach at West Ham, Charlton, Newcastle, and Arsenal.

Woodman has since become a first-team head coach, and since 2021, has guided Bromley from the National League to League One. Southgate, meanwhile, has been a Premier League coach and also led England to two major finals.

Andy Woodman and Gareth Southgate released a book on their friendship in 2003(Image: 2004 David Levenson)

"It's funny, Gareth and I are both dealing with similar problems albeit he is manager of England and I'm manager of Bromley," Woodman told BBC Sport in 2023. "We talk regularly and I find myself going on about one of my players and he's going on about one of his. It's surreal."

Their friendship has remained from their schoolboy days, and Woodman and Southgate were best men at each other's weddings. Southgate is also Freddie Woodman's godfather, and their friendship was documented in the book, 'Woody and Nord: A Football Friendship,' which they wrote together.

Andy Woodman helped Freddie develop his craft as a goalkeeping coach, and he also learned under legendary managers Arsene Wenger and Alan Pardew during his career. Now, his stock has soared since becoming Bromley's head coach.

Freddie Woodman made his Premier League debut for Liverpool on Sunday(Image: 2026 Chris Brunskill/Fantasista)

"I worked closely with some top managers and looked at what they did and learned," Woodman said. "The tactical side, it goes without saying you have to get that right as a manager.

"But the most important ingredient for me is you have to be able to manage people and make them really want to run through brick walls and believe in you. I always felt I had the personality and temperament to be a manager."

While Andy Woodman's focus is on seeing out the League Two season as champions with Bromley, Freddie will play a key role in Liverpool's pursuit of Champions League soccer. Mamardashvili's knee injury isn't believed to be serious, though he will miss at least two weeks.

Therefore, Woodman is expected to start Liverpool's upcoming home game against Palace before facing Manchester United on the road. Liverpool needs three wins from the remaining five games to guarantee Champions League soccer next season.