rousingthekop.com

'Magnificent' Liverpool youngster has quietly upstaged Rio Ngumoha and could now explode in 2025 - opinion

Liverpool have so many talented prospects coming through who are causing excitement within the club.

The Reds have been excellent at giving chances to young players in recent times and that looks set to continue long into the future.

The fact that there is now a clear pathway from the Liverpool academy up to the first-team appears to be the main reason Rio Ngumoha left Chelsea for the Reds over the summer.

Ngumoha has earned rave reviews since his arrival at Kirkby and looks destined to make the senior Liverpool squad at some point in the near future.

But the 16-year-old is not the only teenaged forward pulling up trees in the academy.

18-year-old Trent Kone-Doherty has had a steady development since arriving in 2022. And as Kone-Doherty tucked away a brilliant equaliser in the UEFA Youth League on Tuesday, he sent a reminder to Liverpool fans not to forget about his potential.

(THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Trent Kone-Doherty of Liverpool in action during the UEFA Youth League game at AXA Melwood Training Centre on ...

Photo by Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

Trent Kone-Doherty sends Liverpool reminder

After his high profile move from Chelsea over the summer, it’s no surprise that Liverpool supporters are looking for Ngumoha during every academy game.

Fans were delighted by Ngumoha’s display against Real Madrid last month and it’s clear that the youngster has incredible potential.

MORE LIVERPOOL STORIES

But when you get down to brass tacks, Kone-Doherty has been outperforming the former Chelsea winger all season.

Ngumoha is yet to score in 12 appearances for the Liverpool youth teams. He has four assists and has delivered some exceptional moments in those games but hasn’t found the back of the net.

READ MORE: Liverpool coach raves about three ‘fantastic’ Reds youngsters coming through

Meanwhile, Kone-Doherty’s ‘magnificent’ goal against Girona on Tuesday was his third of the campaign and second in the prestigious Youth League.

The Irishman also has another goal in the Premier League 2 as well as an assist in the EFL Trophy against men’s teams from the lower leagues.

Kone-Doherty closing in on first-team chance

Interestingly, despite his lack of tangible output, Ngumoha has already been spotted at the Liverpool training ground during first-team sessions.

Understandably, it seems as though there is a desire to get him involved in and around the senior team whenever the chance arises.

Appearances Goals Assists

UEFA Youth League 6 2 0

Premier League 2 6 1 0

EFL Trophy 2 0 1

Trent Kone-Doherty 2024/25

Appearances Goals Assists

UEFA Youth League 5 0 2

U18 Premier League 6 0 2

FA Youth Cup 1 0 0

Rio Ngumoha 2024/25

Kone-Doherty trained with the first-team last season, but has not been included yet under Arne Slot.

His progress may have been slower than Ben Doak, who arrived at the same time, but we think Kone-Doherty is now showing exactly why Liverpool plucked him from Derry City aged just 15.

Slow and steady wins the race is perhaps not the best parable to use when it comes to a fleet-footed, tricky winger, but after paying his dues in the academy, we think Kone-Doherty could quietly be about to burst onto the scene in 2025.

Related Posts

Read full news in source page