Freddie Woodman spent eight months at Liverpool training for moments that might never come. When one finally did — 20 minutes against Everton in a Merseyside derby — he was ready.

Last summer, Woodman signed for the Reds on a free transfer as third-choice goalkeeper, a role he described as "new" and one he was "a bit unsure" about taking. At 29, he had spent three seasons making 138 appearances for Preston North End and eight years at Newcastle, loaned out to six different clubs along the way. The Premier League starter's jersey was not part of the plan.

"When the opportunity came along I was a bit unsure whether to do it," Woodman said. "I quickly realised that my game time is going to be limited and that I would probably be called upon for 10, 20 minutes, and when that time comes, I just wanted to be prepared."

His chance arrived in the second half of Liverpool's win at Everton when Giorgi Mamardashvili went down injured. Woodman was thrown into the derby, making his first Premier League appearance in a Liverpool shirt after eight years away from top-flight football. He made one save to deny Iliman Ndiaye, keeping Liverpool in the game before Virgil van Dijk's dramatic 100th-minute header secured the win.

Head coach Arne Slot praised him afterward for working all season without getting much recognition. "He just said that I worked all season without getting a lot of credit," Woodman said. "But I'm happy with that."

The victory capped a remarkable weekend for the Woodman family. Freddie's father, Andy, who manages Bromley, celebrated promotion to League One — the club's first in its history — on the same Saturday.

"I was actually enjoying this Merseyside derby at the new stadium and then I was chucked into it at the deep end, so it was a good weekend for [my] family," Woodman said.

Beyond the save, Woodman has found a different kind of value in his place within the squad. He described building relationships with teammates like Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson, Virgil van Dijk, and Dominik Szoboszlai, staying late to help them with extra shooting drills and free kicks. "You are trying to have a relationship with the lads," he said. "It's just trying to find a different role within the team and realising how important it is."

Looking ahead to a potential start against his boyhood club Crystal Palace at Anfield, Woodman said it would feel "unreal, incredible." He was a ball boy at Selhurst Park as a child. But his mindset, shaped by eight months of quiet preparation, remains unchanged.

"When you're called upon, you just want to be reliable," he said. "That's what it feels like and to be honest, I was happy to get over the line but then to win it the way we did was incredible."