Accrington Stanley striker said his “dreams came true” when the League Two club was drawn to face Liverpool in the FA Cup’s third round.
Liverpool plays Accrington Stanley at Anfield on January 11-12, and while their FA Cup run is expected to come to an end, the majority of the squad may experience a career-defining event. Woods, 24, plays striker for Accrington Stanley but is a lifelong Liverpool supporter who will make his Anfield debut in front of the Kop.
Josh Woods and his family watched the FA Cup draw live, with his brother Connor filming the reaction. The Woods family celebrated loudly following the draw, with Josh screaming “yes” and bouncing around in the living room.
The video quickly went viral, with Liverpool fans expressing him a lot of love when he shared it and wrote: “Dreams do come true wow.” Things became even more strange when Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate left a comment stating, “Let’s go!”
Woods immediately responded to Konate, writing, “See you soon, big man.” Woods has three goals in 12 appearances for Accrington Stanley this season, following a contract extension with the club.
The 24-year-old began his career with non-league team Marine, which is headquartered nearby in Crosby, Merseyside. He later signed a one-year contract with Accrington Stanley in 2021, but his term was extended when he impressed the club.
The next game will be only Liverpool’s second meeting with Accrington Stanley, with the first taking place before the club was reformed. Liverpool defeated the formerly named Accrington FC 2-0 in the third round of the FA Cup in 1958.
Liverpool and Accrington Stanley couldn’t be further apart in the four professional English football leagues, with the Reds at the top of the table, leading the Premier League by nine points. Accrington Stanley is now 19th in League Two and in danger of relegation from the Football League.
Accrington Stanley has only four wins in 16 league games this season, including one win in the last five. However, drawing Liverpool will certainly boost team spirit and influence their fortunes this season.
Liverpool has won every cup game this season, including the League Cup quarterfinal and all five Champions League games. The only two games they haven’t won this season are a 1-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest and a 1-1 draw away to Arsenal.