LIVERPOOL 4-1 ATHLETIC BILBAO: Rio Ngumoha was the star of the show as a second-string Reds side saw off their La Liga opponents in the first of two Anfield friendlies
Anfield was a little more sparse than usual as Liverpool’s first friendly of the evening against Athletic Bilbao kicked off due to an earlier evacuation, but even amongst the reduced numbers there would have been those who didn’t know who Rio Ngumoha was. If they got in in time, they do now.
Just 81 seconds were on the clock when Ngumoha, who won’t turn 17 until the end of this month, picked up the ball inside his own half and drove at the visiting defenders in much the same way he had against Yokohama F Marinos in Japan last week. Only this was at the Kop end.
A touch of nerves for the teen as he bore down on goal then? Not a bit of it. Ngumoha opened his body up and caressed an effort into the far corner that a player twice his age his would be proud of.
It was yet another example of why Arne Slot can’t ignore the talents of the former Chelsea youngster when selecting his first-team squads this season. And you’re starting to suspect he won’t.
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Ngumoha’s sole taste of first-team action in the last campaign came in an FA Cup third round tie against Accrington Stanley, but after scoring what is already his third goal of this pre-season then there are many calling for Slot to throw him into the meaningful matches soon and more often.
The Reds have sold Luis Diaz after all, and so there is a vacancy on their left wing, and everyone has to start somewhere. Lamine Yamal recently turned 18 and has 106 games for Barcelona under his belt, and… well we should probably stop there shouldn’t we.
But while Liverpool are still determined to treat the young Ngumoha with kid gloves, but he is being treated like a first-team player.
He was interviewed by club media in Japan, and notably now sports his first name on the back of his shirt rather than his surname – clearly something he felt emboldened enough to request.
After his goal to get the Anfield crowd on their feet he was soon turning provider when he nodded down for Darwin Nunez to apply a simple finishing touch. In celebration the name Rio was bellowed down from the Kop and not Darwin.
Ngumoha would remain pivotal to how Liverpool attacked, with his stepovers and rolling of the ball under his feet delighting the crowd until his 66th minute replacement to a standing ovation.
The Reds were 4-0 up by that point thanks to further goals from Ben Doak and Harvey Elliott, eventually winning 4-1, but none of those strikes were as special as the opener nor the player who scored it.
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