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A remarkable summer for Rio Ngumoha extended into early September with two further landmarks achieved by the Liverpool sensation, mere days after celebrating his 17th birthday.
After finding the net three times during pre-season before etching his name into history as the Reds' youngest ever goalscorer with a dramatic 100th-minute winner at Newcastle last month aged just 16 years and 361 days, Ngumoha was subsequently awarded his England Under-19 bow in a 2-0 triumph over Ukraine on September 3 before earning inclusion in Arne Slot's Champions League squad for the group phase of Europe's most prestigious tournament on the very same day.
It has been several years since such intense anticipation surrounded a young talent emerging from the club's Academy. Even Trent Alexander-Arnold and Curtis Jones failed to announce themselves quite so spectacularly, and while those at the club are understandably eager not to generate excessive expectations, it is simple to comprehend why there is such considerable enthusiasm.
"Potentially elite" was one source's concise assessment of Ngumoha when he arrived from Stamford Bridge last summer, whilst another who had monitored him closely during his Chelsea period expressed their conviction that the teenager deserves recognition amongst the finest young prospects in European football.
"His mentality is excellent," a source told the Liverpool Echo at the time. "The difference is: he wants to be the best. It's a wonderful move. Chelsea didn't help themselves, they didn't do enough [to keep him] over the last two years."
Previous mentors have discussed how Ngumoha would be amongst the final players to depart the gym during late evening sessions following training, and it's believed the youngster's sibling, James, plays a crucial role in maintaining perspective and preventing any premature elevation of expectations.
For the elder Ngumoha brother however, reinforcements are arriving to assist, with Mohamed Salah offering some wise counsel for a fresh teammate who is nearly half his age. A distaste for "fake" social media represented one of Salah's initial guidelines, whilst there was also a cautionary note that certain players can reach their zenith prematurely.
Salah says: "I told him after the (Newcastle) game: 'Just leave the social media alone'. OK, you can be happy about the goal with your family, with your friends. Enjoy the moment to the max because it's like your first moments in football.
"But don't really get engaged and just get your appreciation from the outside world because it's always going to be fake. You're going to always try to seek that – that feeling from outside if you just get the appreciation from outside.
"So what future is waiting for him depends how he's going to handle the situation. How are we going to work? I need to work hard and just stay humble because he's very young. I told him that some players peak too early and they're going to struggle after that."
When it comes to role models for a young forward operating at the highest level, there's arguably no finer example in global football than the supremely professional Salah, who continues to rank amongst the world's elite forwards at 33 through sheer commitment to his profession.
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"It starts with mentality, of course," says Virgil van Dijk. "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."
It's now 12 months since Ngumoha took his initial modest steps towards Anfield greatness, coming off the substitutes' bench at Puma House of Football during a scoreless stalemate with AC Milan in the UEFA Youth League.
Less than a year on, the England Under-19 international is now starting to establish himself within Slot's Premier League-winning squad. It's been a remarkable rise, yet Ngumoha is merely at the beginning of his journey, and with figures like Salah and Van Dijk there to guide him, continued rapid development is anticipated.
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can read the original story in the Liverpool ECHO by clicking here.
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