Rio Ngumoha shows first glimpse of his talent after Liverpool transfer left Chelsea fuming
Liverpool secured a huge coup when it picked up former Chelsea talent Rio Ngumoha this summer, snapping up the 16-year-old and continuing the trend of signing some of the best young British players around.
Bobby Clark moved permanently to Red Bull Salzburg while Ben Doak and Kaide Gordon headed out on loan to the Championship but Ngumoha and Alvin Ayman arrived from Chelsea and Wolves respectively. The pair were enticed by the clear pathway to first-team soccer on offer at Anfield with Ngumoha exiting a chaotic situation at Stamford Bridge.
While the winger has only shown glimpses of his talent so far in a Liverpool shirt, Ngumoha is clearly one to watch in the next couple of years. He has been with the U18s group so far but has already played at U21 level with his previous club.
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Ngumoha played 24 minutes for Liverpool in the UEFA Youth League against AC Milan and has come off the bench in matches against Blackburn Rovers and Leeds United in the U18 Premier League. He hasn't scored yet, but has impressed in bursts.
He also made history in the European game. By coming off the bench last midweek, he became the youngest player to make an appearance for Liverpool in the UEFA Youth League at just 16 years and 19 days. He beat Trent Alexander-Arnold's long-standing record by nine days (he played Real Madrid at 16 years and 28 days in 2014).
"Delighted to sign for Liverpool FC. YNWA," Ngumoha posted on Instagram when his move to Merseyside was announced. John Terry, now a coach at Chelsea's academy, joined in the chorus of well-wishers, commenting on the announcement with "Good luck mate," and adding the symbols of a fist bump and blue heart.
Liverpool.com says: Ngumoha looks like the kind of player who gets fans off their seats. He needs to work on plenty and no one should be getting carried away, but he's clearly a talent. Chelsea was furious to have lost him to a rival but can only blame itself for the environment it has created for young players.