Ex-Liverpool youngster part of Macclesfield’s historic FA Cup moment that stunned Palace
Sometimes Liverpool’s fingerprints appear on football’s most unlikely moments, even when we are nowhere near the pitch.
Non-league Macclesfield delivered what is being described as the greatest FA Cup shock of all time on Saturday, and tucked away on their bench was a former Liverpool academy forward.
Max Woltman, who left us two years ago, was part of the matchday squad as the National League North side knocked out holders Crystal Palace, a result reported by BBC Sport as the biggest upset in the competition’s history based on league position.
Macclesfield sit 117 places below Palace, yet goals from Paul Dawson and Isaac Buckley-Ricketts sealed a deserved victory, with the Premier League side only able to respond through a late Yeremy Pino free-kick.
While the Wirral-born forward did not feature on the pitch, Woltman’s presence offers a quiet Liverpool connection to a moment that will live long in FA Cup folklore.
Max Woltman and his Liverpool journey
Woltman left Liverpool in 2024 after a long association with the club that began when he joined the academy as a seven-year-old.
During his time with us, the former forward made two senior appearances, including a memorable Champions League outing at AC Milan, a night that underlined how close he came to establishing himself at Anfield.
Supporters will also remember how the youngster once spoke about modelling his game on Bobby Firmino, a detail that highlighted the technical, link-up profile Liverpool coaches admired during his development.
That Liverpool grounding has since carried him into senior football, with this season seeing him rack up eight appearances for Macclesfield, even if opportunities have largely come from the bench.
Woltman links that still matter to Liverpool
There are also deeper Liverpool ties that make this story resonate.
The 22-year-old remains a close friend of Tyler Morton, with the pair having shared the Anfield pitch together earlier in their careers, a moment Morton once described as a childhood dream realised.
Morton has since moved on to Lyon, while Woltman continues to carve out his own path, now finding himself connected to one of English football’s most remarkable cup nights.
It is another reminder of how Liverpool’s academy threads stretch far beyond Anfield, occasionally surfacing in the most unexpected places, even on a day when FA Cup history was rewritten.
Representing the Silkmen against Crystal Palace in the Emirates FA Cup Third Round #AgainstAllOdds pic.twitter.com/IZcLZguf6w
— Macclesfield FC (C) (@thesilkmen) January 10, 2026
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