Steven Gerrard finally gets wish as Arne Slot makes Rio Ngumoha decision

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Rio Ngumoha will make his first Premier League start for Liverpool against Tottenham, with Steven Gerrard and other pundits finally getting their wish after some impressive performances

Steven Gerrard has got his wish after calling for Rio Ngumoha to start for Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)

Steven Gerrard and a number of other pundits have got their wish after Rio Ngumoha was handed his first Premier League start for Liverpool.

The 17-year-old has been named in the Reds’ line-up to take on crisis-ridden Tottenham at Anfield. The teenager is one of five changes made by Arne Slot following the Champions League defeat to Galatasaray.

Alisson Becker returns in goal, while Andy Robertson, Jeremie Frimpong and Cody Gakpo are also back in the side. Mohamed Salah is named on the bench, with Giorgi Mamardashvili, Ibrahima Konate, Milos Kerkez and Hugo Ekitike also dropping down ahead of the return leg against the Turkish champions on Wednesday.

It’s Ngumoha’s inclusion though that will catch the eye for supporters and pundits alike. Slot has been facing calls to give the teenager more opportunities amid a number of impressive performances off the bench, with those shouts getting louder following his impact against Nottingham Forest last month.

Former Reds captain Gerrard has been among those calling for Ngumoha to start, having made the case following the recent defeat at Wolves.

"He [Slot] has to start Ngumoha now," Gerrard said on TNT Sports in the aftermath of the Reds' 2-1 defeat. "He’s doing more in a small space of time than Gakpo is doing in 60 minutes."

Rio Ngumoha will make his first Premier League start for Liverpool against Tottenham(Image: Getty Images)

Gerrard isn’t the only high-profile ex-Red to have called for Ngumoha to get more opportunities, with Jamie Carragher having made a similar plea to his former teammate.

"Ngumoha did more in 15 minutes than Salah and Gakpo did before that,” Carragher said after the win at Forest. “He changed the game and needs to be starting games.”

Liverpool will have the chance to move into the Premier League’s top four should it beat Tottenham, and give its Champions League qualification hopes a much-needed boost.

Defeat for Chelsea against Newcastle on Saturday and Aston Villa’s loss to Manchester United means the Reds can leapfrog both sides, and pile more misery on relegation-threatened Tottenham in the process.

Liverpool.com says: As much as Slot has been right to be cautious with a player that is still very, very young, it is about time that Ngumoha is given his chance to start in the league.

Whether it’s just a measure to rest up the likes of Salah and Ekitike before the second leg against Galatasaray, or a genuine opportunity for Ngumoha to make a case for himself, it’s the perfect time to see what he can do now.