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Liverpool midfielder Gini Wijnaldum was the perfect man to provide some words of advice for Ben Woodburn this week.

The Dutchman knows exactly what it’s like to be a highly-rated teenager in the spotlight and making the leap on to the big stage.

Rotterdam-born Wijnaldum was just 16 when he was handed his first-team debut for Feyenoord by Erwin Koeman in April 2007.

Wijnaldum became the youngest player in the club’s history and earned rave reviews as he collected the man of the match award.

It was the start of a journey which led him to Anfield via PSV Eindhoven and Newcastle.

“I remember it well,” Wijnaldum told the ECHO.

“It was against Groningen. We lost 4-0 but I played a good game.

“I wasn’t nervous, just really excited. I had wanted that moment since I was really young. I had waited for it for a long time.

“When it came I thought: ‘finally, I can show my qualities to the people’.”

Wijnaldum sees the same fearless attitude in Woodburn, who followed up a brief debut against Sunderland last weekend by becoming the youngest goal scorer in the club’s history when he came off the bench against Leeds United in the EFL Cup in midweek.

“I was really impressed,” he said.

“I didn’t know Ben before. I knew Ovie Ejaria and Trent Alexander-Arnold as they came on the tour of America but Ben joined up later.

“It can be difficult for young players to show their qualities in the games, but it wasn’t for them.

“They were not scared or nervous. They just played their game and did really well.

“My advice to those boys is not to think about the pressure, just to enjoy it.

“The pressure is for other players, those who have been in the team for a longer time. Young players have to just focus on enjoying their football and developing.

“We have older players to worry about the other things. They just need to train hard and learn more stuff to become better players.”

Wijnaldum believes Liverpool are fortunate to have one of his fellow countrymen on the coaching staff to help nurture the youngsters.

Pep Lijnders, the first-team development coach, is the key link between the Academy and Melwood.

He oversees the weekly ‘Futures Group’ session at Melwood which features the cream of the Academy crop from under-15s through to under-23s.

Lijnders arrived at Liverpool from Porto in 2014 having previously worked in youth development at Wijnaldum’s former club PSV.

“I know how Pep works,” he said.

“He’s a Dutch coach with a very good reputation. He’s trying to do the same here as what we do in Holland.

“I’d heard about him when he was working for PSV. When Pep talks about young players being good then I immediately believe him.

“After I had trained with these guys I saw what he meant, they are good players.”

Liverpool face Bournemouth in the Premier League at the Vitality Stadium on Sunday afternoon looking to extend their 15-game unbeaten run.

Wijnaldum, who joined the Reds in a £25million deal from Newcastle last summer, says the confidence currently flowing through Jurgen Klopp’s squad stems from the work they put it on the training field.

“Melwood is an exciting place to go into every day. It’s been like that from the beginning,” he said.

“The way we train is so good. It’s always hard and 100%. Everyone tries to get everyone better.

“If my team-mate gives 100% then I have to give 100% too to compete with him.

“It’s a good thing, it’s what the manager expects from you. Not that you just give everything in the games, but also every day at Melwood in the training.

“That keeps the standards high and makes us better players every day.”

Wijnaldum was speaking at the final of the LFC x NB Five-a-side Tournament at the Academy.

It was held to celebrate the launch of the new LFC x NB sportswear range (http://store.liverpoolfc.com/fashion/new-balance) .

Wijnaldum was appointed manager of finalists ‘Be Strong’ with Academy youngster Bobby Adekanye as his assistant.

Lucas Leiva was in charge of opponents ‘Rua’s’ with Liverpool Under-18s striker Yan Dhanda as his No 2.

Wijnaldum’s side triumphed 5-1 – earning themselves hospitality to the home clash with Swansea City next month. They will also donate £500 to the Be Strong charity and £500 to the Anfield Children’s Centre.

The Dutchman added: “It was a winning start to my managerial career!

“I’d heard before that they were a good team who had won a lot of games.

“I didn’t need to do much. They were aggressive to get the ball back when they lost it and they were greedy to score goals.

“Will I become a coach one day? I don’t know. Maybe in the future. I’ve not really thought it yet because I’ve still got so much to achieve as a player.”