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Liverpool continued its preparations for the season with a 3-1 win over Yokohama F. Marinos.
The game marked the debut of Hugo Ekitike, but it was two youngsters who stole the show. Florian Wirtz is not exactly a veteran himself, but it fell to him to restore parity after Liverpool had surprisingly fallen behind. After that, the kids really took over — Trey Nyoni put the Reds in front, before Rio Ngumoha secured the win.
That moment crowned a wonderful outing for Ngumoha, one which has left many wondering whether Liverpool really needs to sign a direct replacement for Luis Diaz. But Nyoni should not be lost in all the hype for his 16-year-old colleague.
Handed his debut by Jurgen Klopp, Nyoni has been on the radar for some time. And it was a well-taken finish against Yokohama, arriving in the box at exactly the right time to stretch for Jeremie Frimpong's world-class cross.
Liverpool poached Nyoni from Leicester's academy in 2023, and the 18-year-old is showing signs of offering a massive return on that investment, either in first-team contriubtions or an eventual lucrative sale. Indeed, the strategy of hoovering up the best youth talent was on show twice in Japan.
Ngumoha was signed using the same playbook. It was an even more audacious raid, prompting an angry response from Chelsea.
And you can see why. Leaving his defender behind and finishing calmly, Ngumoha showed in Japan that the Blues might well have lost a gem.
The goal was merely the icing on the cake. Ngumoha looked at home among his senior colleagues from the moment he came on, acting as one of the team's brightest sparks.
That won't have come as a surprise to Andy Robertson. The Scot name-checked both youngsters ahead of the Yokohama match.
"He’s a good kid and he’s got a fantastic head on his shoulders, especially when he’s got people like Mo [Salah] who can help him so much as well," Robertson said of Ngumoha after the Milan game, talking to The Anfield Wrap. "We always try to help him and Trey.
"They’re so young, but they’re such good kids and they’ve got a hell of a future ahead of themselves. You can just see them coming on every time, and the more they train and play with us, the more they just get better and better.
"Obviously that’s the last two games I’ve played now with Rio in front of me, and he just keeps on coming on. He’s got a hell of a future ahead of him, but the here-and-now looks pretty good as well."
That assessment looks even more prescient now. And Ngumoha is certainly being exposed to the high standards it takes to be part of this Liverpool team.
Training footage from the tour went viral recently, with Robertson overheard voicing his ire to Ngumoha. In a video uploaded by The Redmen TV, he could be heard giving the teenager a dressing-down: "Ah Rio, f------ complacency ya wee d---!"
But if Robertson is being demanding (of both Ngumoha and Nyoni), it's because he knows that the sky is their limit. They showed it once again vs Yokohama.
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