Newcastle's Freddie Woodman reveals why he 'hates' practising penalties after his spot-kick heroics for Aberdeen

The goalkeeper's penalty heroics against Kilmarnock on Tuesday night saw loan club Aberdeen book a semi-final tie against Motherwell at Hampden Park on April 14.

Woodman saved three spot kicks after the two clubs drew 1-1 after extra time at Rugby Park.

"It would mean everything to play in the final," said the 21-year-old. "I’ve played in a few finals, and when I arrived here I said football is about winning trophies and having medals to look back on.

"I’ve got that opportunity to get to another final, and hopefully we’ll take it.”

Woodman – who had a spell on loan at Kilmarnock last season – saved a penalty as England's Under-20s won the World Cup last summer in South Korea.

"Penalties seem to follow me wherever I go," Woodman told the Aberdeen Press and Journal. "I’ve come out on top in a few now, and hopefully it can stay like that during my career.

“I was positive we would win in normal time, but as soon as the whistle went at the end of extra time, my mind was focused and I was confident. Our boys did well by scoring theirs to help me out and it feels great.

“I’ve got friends in the Kilmarnock team that I spent a lot of time with, so I’m a little bit disappointed for them, but I’m an Aberdeen player now and I’m happy to be through to the semi-finals.

“Goalkeepers don’t practise penalties. If anything, we hate them. At training, players want to do penalties all the time and it does my head in, as it means diving about everywhere.

“I’ve tried studying penalty takers, I’ve guessed at penalties, I’ve tried everything. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. This time it was a win.”