Liverpool whizkid Ben Woodburn could've been lost to Spanish football, it has been revealed.

Former PE teacher Mark Lindley revealed he had an offer from Espanyol as a junior.

He recalled to the Mirror: “I knew Ben when he was eight because of the school sports events we held and also because of my previous involvement at Liverpool's academy.

“Even at that age, you could see he was something special, an ­exceptional talent.

“He was always a very quiet boy when he was at school but it was a different world when you saw him on the pitch. He could score from anywhere, often scoring four, five or six goals a game from all over the pitch. Straight away you knew there was something special about him.

“At school he played in central midfield and I remember he came on tour with us to Barcelona, aged 12. We were training with ­Espanyol and Barcelona and he didn't look out of place.

“I remember the Espanyol coaches thought he was something special. They wanted to sign him."