RIO NGUMOHA Vs ACCRINGTON STANLEY FULL HD 11/ 01/2025 FULL HD

Who is Rio Ngumoha? Liverpool’s surprise 16-year-old starter in FA Cup

Liverpool have 16-year-old winger Rio Ngumoha in their starting lineup to play Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup, as the first academy debutant under Arne Slot.

Ngumoha has been named in a strong side to face League Two strugglers Accrington Stanley in the third round, marking his debut for Liverpool’s first team.

It comes as something of a surprise given the other options already available to Slot in attack, but serves as a strong show of faith in a player with high hopes around him.

So who is Ngumoha and what can we expect

Who is Rio Ngumoha?

Ngumoha is an exciting attacking talent most comfortable on the left wing, who officially joined Liverpool from Chelsea in September.

His switch to Anfield became official days after his 16th birthday, with it long known that the youngster would trade west London for Merseyside.

Since moving to Liverpool, Ngumoha has largely played for the club’s U18s side, but has also featured for the U19s in the UEFA Youth League.

He is a regular in first-team training and earned a place on the substitutes’ bench for the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Southampton – though that time saw him go unused throughout.

Wasn’t there controversy around his transfer?

It seems so.

According to The Athletic, reporting in October, Chelsea banned scouts from both Liverpool and Man United from attending academy fixtures in the fallout of Ngumoha’s exit

The decision to deny requests to attend youth games was “interpreted as a response to losing [Ngumoha].”

What is his playing style?

Ngumoha is a very direct winger who relishes one-on-one situations up against defenders – though he has quickly found himself double or even triple-marked in games.

He thrives when dropping his shoulder and jinking around markers, but he has also shown a tendency to overplay at times when a more straightforward pass to a teammate is available.

His quick feet and eye for goal make him a multi-layered threat, both in shooting from range and driving towards the byline to deliver crosses into the box.

What can we expect?

There is clearly a belief in Ngumoha’s ability among coaches both within the academy and around the first team, which made him a viable option against Accrington Stanley.

While the likes of Trent Kone-Doherty, Kieran Morrison, Ranel Young and fellow 16-year-old Joe Bradshaw have arguably been more consistent so far this season, there is something about Ngumoha that has caught Slot’s eye.

Expectations around the youngster should be played down at this stage, as he is still only 16 and is yet to even debut for Liverpool’s U21s, but don’t rule out any magic in the FA Cup

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