On August 25, Liverpool visited Newcastle in one of the hot derbies of the second round of the new season in the English Premier League. The English champions came out against a highly motivated Magpies against the backdrop of the summer transfer saga with the home team's striker Alexander Isak and eventually emerged victorious after a dramatic 3:2 in a match with a lot of emotions and a red card for Anthony Gordon from Newcastle.

But in the 100th minute of the match - 10 after the end of regular time, one of the super talents of English football rose on the Premier League stage. A player who has been followed for some time and considered extremely promising. It is about the then still 16-year-old attacking footballer Rio Ngumoha. The youngster came off the bench in place of Cody Gakpo and a little later threw the visiting supporters into ecstasy after a perfect attack, culminating in a famous right-footed finish for the final 3:2.

But who really is Rio Ngumoha, who four days after the drama at St. James' Park officially turned 17? Originally from Newham, East London, Ngumoha has shown enviable skills from a young age, and this has not gone unnoticed by the big clubs in the Premier League. At the age of 8, Rio entered the Chelsea academy, and in April last year he scored in the Blues' 3:1 victory over Wolverhampton in the Premier League Under-17 Cup final.

This 2024 turned out to be key for Ngumoha, who that summer transferred to the Liverpool academy. In the autumn, the talented player was called up by the new manager of the Merseysiders, Arne Slot, to train with the first team. And so, step by step, Ngumoha slowly but surely began to write his own story. In December 2024, he was named in the reserves for the Carabao Cup match against Southampton. His professional debut as a starter was not long in coming – it came on 11 January 2025 in the Reds’ emphatic 4:0 victory over Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup. On that day, when Ngumoha constantly harassed the opposing defense in the first half, he became Liverpool’s youngest player in the tournament at just 16 years, 135 days old, and at the same time became the youngest first-team starter in the club’s history.

This summer, Ngumoha impressed everyone with his performances in the champions’ pre-season in Hong Kong and Japan. In four games, Ngumoha scored twice and assisted two more. That brings us to August 25, when, at the very end of the second half, Ngumoha came off the bench and finished a textbook attack, leaving no chance for the opponent's goalkeeper Nick Pope. Thus, Rio gave himself a great birthday present, and on his Premier League debut. He became the youngest goalscorer in Liverpool's history, and also scored the latest winning goal for the Merseysiders in the Premier League era. The previous record was held by former Reds striker Darwin Nunes, when the Uruguayan crushed Nottingham Forest in March 2024 with a goal in the 99th minute.

Ngumoha was born in England, but is of Nigerian and Guadeloupean descent. He has Nigerian and French citizenship from his parents. In 2023, the 17-year-old talent made his debut for the England under-15 and under-16 teams. In October 2024, he played for the Three Lions under-17 team and received a call-up for the European Championship in this age group, which was held in Albania earlier this year between 19 May and 1 June.

A lot can be said about Ngumoha's qualities, but the main thing in his game is speed and technique. The youngster likes to play at speed and outplay the opposing players, being very brave and having an affinity for goal - something that the whole world saw clearly during the visit of Newcastle. Originally on the wing, but with enough creativity to break through the middle, Ngumoha has the ability to dribble past players and now keep the opposition under pressure due to the danger of a finishing shot, and not just from breakthroughs on the flank.

The sky is the limit for Ngumoha and it is clear to everyone that Liverpool hit the jackpot with his signing from the Chelsea academy. Now the main question is how much his game can develop at Anfield. Slot has the competence to shoulder this and make the youngster an even more dangerous weapon in the future. With him on the left wing, Liverpool may have secured their future now and not necessarily have to take a player in that position on the pitch. Ngumoha will get more minutes this season in the Premier League, and as we have already witnessed, he is more than capable of justifying the trust they have placed in him. Liverpool and Merseyside fans have a lot to be excited about, but they shouldn't burden Ngumoha with high expectations so early.

Because the boy is not yet an adult and will still improve in his performances. Tension can sometimes be a bad companion, and Ngumoha, whose idol is the already club legend of the Reds Mohamed Salah, is already following in the footsteps of the Egyptian attacker, but from the other side of the pitch. Newcastle has already suffered from him, and Rio has declared himself on the biggest club stage with a debut that he will remember for the rest of his life. | BGNES

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Stefan Ignatov, BGNES Sports Department