Rio Ngumoha announced himself to the world on Monday night, as the teenager struck at the death to seal a dramatic 3–2 victory for Liverpool at St. James’ Park.

In doing so, the 16-year-old became the Reds’ youngest-ever goalscorer in their 133-year history, having made his debut in a FA Cup tie against Accrington Stanley earlier this year. Then, Nguhoma established himself as Liverpool’s second-youngest appearance-maker.

The teenager re-emerged in preseason, with his standout performances rendering him impossible to ignore. Ngumoha lit up the Far East with his slick footwork and easy-on-the-eye fluency with which he plays. He scored in the 3–1 win against Yokohama F. Marinos, and continued his breakout summer with another excellent finish in a 4–1 rout of Athletic Club back at Anfield.

The conviction of his preseason strikes meant there was a split-second expectation when Dominik Szoboszlai’s genius dummy sold Tino Livramento a dream and allowed the teenager to pounce, that imminently, the subdued travelling contingent would be celebrating the potential birth of a superstar.

Rio didn’t let them down.


Rio Ngumoha Makes Liverpool History In Stunning Newcastle Win

Rio Ngumoha
Rio stunned St. James’ Park. | George Wood/Getty Images

Ngumoha was born in London on August 29, 2008, and joined Chelsea's academy at age eight. He rose through the Blues' academy age groups and scored in the final of Chelsea's victorious U17 Premier League Cup campaign last April.

In September last year, the teenager left west London in controversial circumstances to join Liverpool, entering the club's academy, and has primarily appeared for the under-18 and under-19 teams last term in the U18 Premier League and UEFA Youth League.

Ngumoha, who also has three international appearances for England's under-17 team, predominantly plays as a left winger, but has been lauded for his versatility as an attacker. While at Chelsea, his playing style drew comparisons to Bayern Munich playmaker Jamal Musiala, who was also a Chelsea youth player before his family moved to Germany in 2019.

His maiden appearance against Accrington Stanley did come as a surprise, but it showed the extent of the impression the teenager had made upon Arne Slot and his staff. The Dutchman continued to wax lyrical over Ngumoha in preseason, and he turned to the young winger on Monday night to inspire a Liverpool side that struggled for control and momentum despite playing a man up for the second half (and taking a 2–0 lead).

His historic strike arrived four minutes after entering the fray in stoppage time, turning a concerning draw into a worrying win. The champions have plenty of work to do if they’re to rediscover the stability of Slot’s debut campaign, but escaping the narrative-laden duel on Tyneside with three points also manifested what they’re all about. These Reds, with the help of a burgeoning starlet, find a way.

“It’s a dream debut for him,” captain Virgil van Dijk said post-match. “I’m very pleased for Rio. I’ve said to him: ‘This is just the start now’. He has to stay humble, but also enjoy it because these kinds of nights you can’t take for granted.”


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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Who Is Rio Ngumoha? The Youngest Player to Score For Liverpool.

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