Rio Ngumoha arrived at Liverpool to a surprising level of fanfare, and though still only 16, the skilful winger is beginning to show why he has been fast-tracked.
It was a performance which could ultimately define the season for Liverpool’s U21s; facing the prospect of missing out on the league playoffs, Ngumoha stepped up with a crucial brace.
Those two goals against Aston Villa – his first at U21s level – on the final day of the normal campaign were enough to seal a 2-2 draw and 16th place in the table, setting up a last-16 clash with league leaders Man City.
An incredible team move for the first ?
Rio Ngumoha with a brace for #LFCU21s against Aston Villa ?? pic.twitter.com/sV8uH0pXNC
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) April 22, 2025
While it is far from an ideal scenario for Barry Lewtas‘ side, those within the club judge the performance of their academy on individual growth rather than team performance – and in Ngumoha, they have witnessed vast improvement.
Having arrived days after his 16th birthday, Ngumoha’s signing was seen as a major coup for Liverpool, who angered the teenager’s former club Chelsea with their successful bid for one of England’s most talented youngsters.
Finding his feet
In a summer which saw Federico Chiesa as the only new arrival at first-team level it was no surprise that the deal for Ngumoha attracted so much attention.
But despite his quick feet and a highlight reel of skills, it was evident in his early performances for the U18s that – understandably so – he was still early in his development.
There were a number of occasions when teammates were left waving their arms in frustration as Ngumoha danced down blind alleys, ignoring the simple pass as he preferred to take defenders on and attempt the spectacular.
Such was his profile, too, that opposition coaches often charged their players to double or even triple-mark his area on the left flank, which only magnified the disappointment when promising attacks were snuffed out.
Ngumoha displayed his outstanding natural ability from day one, but the arrangement that saw him train with either the first team or U21s and then play for the U18s appeared to separate him from his peers on the pitch.
He has since become a popular figure at the AXA Training Centre, mixing with the likes of Jayden Danns, Trent Kone-Doherty and Amara Nallo in their downtime in the academy area of Liverpool’s bespoke training ground.
It is on the regular occasions he is called up to the senior setup that show how fondly he is regarded, however.
While Arne Slot is perceived to be less hands-on when it comes to youth compared to his predecessor, sources have told This Is Anfield that training sessions have in fact become more inclusive.
That is particularly the case for Ngumoha, who like Trey Nyoni has been fast-tracked into the first-team picture as a signing separate to typical academy acquisitions.
Slot has backed up his involvement in training with further exposure on matchdays – twice as an unused substitute and once as a surprise starter, becoming Liverpool’s second-youngest ever player when he debuted against Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup.
Albeit against League Two opposition – who could yet drop out of the Football League this season – it was notable that Ngumoha did not shrink into the background on his first real test against physical, fully developed defenders.
Close contact with Slot and elite development coach Aaron Briggs, along with senior players such as Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, will have had demonstrated how much faith there is in their No. 73.
How Ngumoha has evolved
And in stepping up to save the season for Liverpool U21s, Ngumoha showed the progress he has made from those frustrating early performances.
Now, there is a cutting edge to his game, using his pace to drive into the right areas and finish off moves as well as create chances for those around him.
For those two goals against Villa, Ngumoha stayed alert while his striker – firstly Ranel Young and then substitute Keyrol Figueroa – picked the moment for the pass, the 16-year-old finishing coolly with both his left and right feet.
It is that ability to stay involved when not in possession that has seemingly changed in Ngumoha in the months since his move from Chelsea – and that will be cherished by those in the first-team picture.
“He is finding himself in recent weeks and this is what it is, we need to develop players and the evolution of him certainly over the last six or so weeks in terms of the positions he is now getting himself into [shows that],” U21s coach Lewtas told the Liverpool Echo.
“You saw him get his two goals. He has been working really hard in training on that and it’s nice that with the playoffs to come we have someone who can score some goals for us.”
There is certainly a real benefit to Liverpool progressing to the playoffs of Premier League 2, even though they will be underdogs heading into their knockout clash with Man City on Friday night.
Perhaps most prominently it gives Ngumoha the chance to continue a trajectory that could see him more involved with the first team in both his and Slot’s second campaign at Anfield.
A big opportunity should at least come in pre-season, particularly in a summer where the majority of Slot’s senior attackers are in flux, with it likely he remains as a valuable part of the first team.
If his pathway is accelerated further next season there should be no surprise – it is clear that Liverpool have big plans for Rio Ngumoha, and their faith is already being rewarded.
