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Rio Ngumoha is leaving quite the impression on his Liverpool teammates after what has been a remarkable couple of months for the teenager.
Having joined the Reds from Chelsea last year, the youngster was tipped for big things after impressing Liverpool’s scouts - although even they might not have expected him to make the impact he has this summer.
Ngumoha impressed throughout pre-season, scoring three times in wins over Stoke, Yokohama F. Marinos, and Athletic Bilbao, with his performances almost making it impossible for Arne Slot to leave him out of his first-team plans for Liverpool’s defense of the Premier League title.
And just three games into the new league season, Ngumoha has already made a huge impact, having scored a dramatic late winner at Newcastle, which has helped the Reds make a perfect winning start to the campaign.
Despite only turning 17 at the end of August, Ngumoha’s stock continues to rise, and he has even earned himself a spot in Liverpool’s Champions League squad for the league phase ahead of Federico Chiesa.
It’s no surprise then that his teammates are impressed by what they’ve seen of him, with new arrival Jeremie Frimpong the latest to be singing his praises.
Taking part in a word association game for TNT Sports, Frimpong was asked to use just one word to sum up Ngumoha after his emergence as one of Liverpool’s brightest stars, with the Netherlands international labeling him "skillful."
Frimpong was presented with other members of the Reds’ squad, with the right-back using "joker" for Andy Robertson, "finisher" for Mohamed Salah, and "captain" for Virgil van Dijk.
Ngumoha will be expected to get more opportunities with Liverpool’s first team as the Reds’ schedule becomes more hectic following the international break, with Champions League and Carabao Cup commitments to deal with now alongside the Premier League.
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The teenager continued his breakthrough last week as he made his debut for England U19s, and there have already been suggestions that he could earn a surprise place in Thomas Tuchel’s senior squad for next year’s World Cup.
For the time being, Ngumoha will be aiming to heed the advice of the likes of Salah and Van Dijk as he looks to continue his rise at Anfield.
"It starts with mentality, of course," Van Dijk said about Ngumoha. "You have to have the right mindset. Nowadays, if you are a football player of the highest level, it takes much more than just playing on the pitch. You have to deal with a lot of things off the pitch as well.
"Mentally, physically, there are a lot of games. But it is a good start from him. He has to have the motivation to keep working and hopefully he will have a fantastic career."
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