Liverpool’s academy has been mightily impressive when it comes to producing talent in recent years, with the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Curtis Jones and Neco Williams all impressing to varying degrees for the Reds last season.

However, one man whose development hasn’t quite followed the upward trajectory many had hoped for is Ben Woodburn.

The youngster was tipped as the club’s next big thing after his debut goals for the Reds and the Wales national team sprung him to superstardom almost overnight.

Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to build on that great start, with two underwhelming loan spells with Sheffield United and Oxford United hampering his progress in the last two seasons.

Woodburn is set for another temporary spell away from Anfield this season, but rather than heading down to one of England’s lower divisions for a third time, he may get a chance to strut his stuff in the Eredivisie with Sparta Rotterdam as Goal claim that they're now favourites to land him.

While a move to Sparta Rotterdam for Woodburn seems a little strange on the surface, there is precedent to say that a spell in Holland can help a player prepare themselves for the rigorous challenges of English football.

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Mason Mount had an incredibly successful loan spell at Vitesse during the 2017/18 season, netting 14 and assisting 9 in 32 appearances, and just two years later he was a regular starter for Chelsea, and a senior England international.

If Woodburn can impress in a similar way to Mount, his path to Jurgen Klopp’s starting XI may become a lot clearer, but he will have to put the work in to make sure this isn’t yet another opportunity spurned.

The 20-year-old hasn’t yet kicked on to become the star he was once touted as, but this could be a chance for him to seriously grow as a player.