Liverpool is the side to beat in the Premier League this season, and Arne Slot didn't need to make any changes to the squad he inherited from Jurgen Klopp in the summer. Mohamed Salah, 32, Virgil van Dijk,32, Ryan Gravenberch, 22, and Cody Gakpo, 25, are flourishing under their new Dutch coach.
Slot's found immediate success at Anfield with an exciting, high-intensity brand of football that has taken the Merseysiders up a gear. He's also got a squad brimming with youthful talent that are making a name for themselves at U21 level. One of those is 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha who arrived at Anfield in September.
Ngumoha is a tricky left-winger who rose through Chelsea's youth ranks before heading to Liverpool. The Blues were left furious over his departure as they lost one of their most celebrated teenage talents to an arch-rival.
The English attacker, who has represented England at U17 level on three occasions, looks to be the real deal and a talent his new club is looking to protect. If he continues to catch the eye at youth level, it might not be too long before he earns a place on Slot's substitutes bench.
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Liverpool Delete and Edit Clips of Eye-Catching Ngumoha
He 'regularly terrorises first team players in training'
Ngumoha has been so impressive in training against Liverpool's first-team stars that his superb dribbling abilities have caused them problems. The Reds are trying to calm the hype surrounding the former Chelsea academy starlet by editing footage of him in training, per Anfield Watch.
The report noted: 'Ngumoha regularly terrorises first team players in training and the club has had to delete and edit out footage of his performances from the Inside Training video series in a bid to contain the hype surrounding the 16-year-old.'
This speaks volumes about how exciting a talent Ngumoha is as the club looks to manage the expectations of the winger. The pressure that comes with the spotlight of English football can either make or break a footballer's career early on, so it makes sense to protect him on that front – while they also won't want to attract attention from rival teams who could try and swoop in and steal the youngster (much like they did from Chelsea).
Ngumoha has yet to appear at U21 level for the Merseysiders, but he's well on his way to doing so. He's starred for the U18s with two assists in six games and also appeared for the U19s in the UEFA Youth League. He came off the bench to debut in a 0-0 draw against AC Milan's U19s.
John Terry, who worked closely with Ngumoha as part of the coaching setup at Chelsea's academy, is well aware of just how much potential the teenager has. He gave a glowing verdict amid his move to Anfield:
"This boy is and will be a top top player."
Arne Slot Hinted at Believing in Youth Amid Ngumoha's Rise
The Liverpool boss touched on game time for youth players
Liverpool boss Arne Slot celebrating
Liverpool has a rich history of blending youth with world-class talent, which was the case during Klopp's reign at Anfield. The German turned to the likes of Jayden Danns, Bobby Clark and James McConnell, all teenagers who were on the pitch in a 1-0 win over Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final. They were known as 'Klopp's Kids', as the club's beloved former coach placed his faith in the academy.
There were question marks regarding Slot doing so when he replaced Klopp at the helm, but he suggested he'd be open-minded with affording the youth game time. He said (via This is Anfield):
This club will always bring good youngsters. It’s always a challenge to find the right moment, either to play them or if they’ve played quite a lot of minutes they want to make the next step in their career.
Slot has proven he's willing to use youth, including in Liverpool's 2-0 win against Man City in a top-of-the-table clash last Sunday. He named 17-year-old striker Trey Nyoni on the bench for that game. He's also given game time to academy graduates Conor Bradley and Jarrell Quansah, both 22, this season.
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All statistics courtesy of Transfermarktas of 04/12/2024.