Two months in the past, Josh Woods was sitting within the Kop at Anfield cheering Liverpool to a Champions League win over Bayer Leverkusen and singing You may By no means Stroll Alone.
Accrington Stanley’s 24-year-old ahead is a Liverpool fan who grew up idolising Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres.
He nonetheless watches them at any time when he can however on Saturday, due to the FA Cup, he’ll get to share a pitch along with his boyhood staff.
Woods will step out at Anfield with League Two Accrington once they tackle the Premier League leaders within the third spherical.
He was within the Liverpool finish at Wembley to see the Reds beat Chelsea within the earlier than returning to the nationwide stadium when the 2 groups met in Carabao Cup remaining final February.
Regardless of one other Liverpool win, his journey to Wembley 11 months in the past turned bitter as he missed all of the motion due to
There will likely be no entry points this weekend.
Woods is predicted to function for the staff nineteenth in League Two in opposition to the staff six factors clear on the high of the Premier League.
“Once I go and watch Liverpool I all the time suppose to myself, ‘I might like to play at Anfield sooner or later’,” he tells BBC Sport.
“Now it is about to occur. Goals do come true.”
Accrington Stanley, who’re they?
Woods’ love of Liverpool is partly all the way down to his dad, Dale, who was once a steward at Anfield, whereas brother Connor, 26, was as soon as a part of Liverpool’s academy and now performs for Warrington City in Nationwide League North.
Saturday is not going to be the primary time Woods, who was introduced up in Skelmersdale, west Lancashire, has stepped foot on Liverpool’s pitch.
He remembers the time he was chased off the Anfield taking part in floor after watching his brother play an academy recreation.
“I used to be solely 5, I jumped over the wall and ran on,” he laughs. “I used to be simply operating round in circles. My mum and pop have been screaming at me to get off.”
Across the identical time he had his image taken with the Champions League trophy quickly after Rafael Benitez’s Liverpool overcame AC Milan in a
Woods additionally remembers assembly Ian Rush, Liverpool’s report scorer with 346 objectives, when he was rising up.
“I used to be with my mum in Liverpool and obtained an image with him,” he says.
Rush’s title featured in an iconic that includes two younger Liverpool followers.
One tells the opposite that Rush had informed him that if he did not drink milk, he would solely be ok to play for Accrington Stanley, who have been within the Northern Premier League when the advert first aired.
The opposite fan asks, “Accrington Stanley, who’re they?”, to which the primary replies, “Precisely.”
“Sure, I’ve seen it,” says Woods concerning the advert. “It is humorous as a result of every time I point out to somebody I play for Accrington Stanley, they all the time deliver that advert up.”
A lower above the remaining?
Woods was set for a profession as a barber earlier than he signed for Accrington in 2021 after being noticed taking part in for Skelmersdale-based staff Clay Forehead.
He has been slicing hair for the reason that age of 12 and used the cash he earned to observe Liverpool.
“I began barbering, working as a Saturday lad in Skelmersdale,” says Woods.
“I by no means thought I might be knowledgeable footballer. I performed for the college staff however I used to be by no means good. I simply needed to chop hair and watch soccer.
“I might get the prepare from Ormskirk to Kirkdale and stroll quarter-hour to Anfield. I liked watching Liverpool.”
It was solely after Woods left faculty and began taking part in once more along with his pals that he realised he was significantly better at soccer.
“I bear in mind having a race with one of many lads who was the quickest in our yr at college and I beat him. I felt utterly totally different in my thoughts and in my physique.”
Woods developed his expertise taking part in Sunday league and was about to go on trial at non-league Warrington Rylands when he was invited to coach with Accrington, the place he now wears the quantity 39 shirt.
His love of slicing hair nonetheless continues although, with team-mates Liam Coyle and Ben Woods – no relation – on his listing for a brief again and sides earlier than the large day at Anfield.
‘A big day – however I’ve obtained a job to do’
Accrington’s common League Two attendance this season is 2,434 however double that quantity are making the journey from east Lancashire to Anfield to cheer on John Doolan’s underdogs.
“Liverpool are the very best staff on the earth proper now – high of the Premier League, high of the Champions League,” provides Woods, whose response when he discovered Accrington had been drawn in opposition to his beloved staff went viral on social media.
A clip of him leaping off his couch and dancing round his front room has been considered tens of hundreds of instances.
“I used to be in shock for the primary hour after which all my feelings got here out,” he says concerning the draw. “Connor was with me and it obtained a bit emotional.
“We’re each from non-league backgrounds and you do not ever suppose you are going to get an opportunity to play at Anfield.”
Accrington are dealing with a staff who’ve misplaced simply two of their 29 video games this season.
In the meantime, the League Two membership have misplaced 10 of their 23 league video games.
“We had one or two unhealthy leads to December – we misplaced at residence to Bromley and Salford,” says Woods, whose center title is Stanley after his grandad – not the staff he at present performs for.
“However up to now two video games we have managed to show it round and we will take pleasure in this weekend.
“We’re going in a single day and I need to take the whole lot in from the journey to Liverpool to strolling out at Anfield.
“It’ll be a big day. However we all know we’re there to do our jobs.”