Young Liverpool winger Rio Ngumoha started for the Reds' U21s against Leeds on Sunday, while Keyrol Figueroa continued his excellent form when he came off the bench
15:59, 25 Jan 2026
Rio Ngumoha came off the bench as Liverpool lost to Bournemouth
Rio Ngumoha came off the bench as Liverpool lost to Bournemouth(Image: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Rio Ngumoha, after coming off the bench at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday, played 45 minutes for Liverpool U21s against Leeds the following day.
But while Ngumoha impressed, starting alongside a host of other talents including Trey Nyoni and Calvin Ramsay, who were also with the first team but didn't make it off the bench against Bournemouth, Liverpool had to wait until the second half to score the goals that earned the three points in Premier League 2.
Amara Nallo conceded a penalty in the first half, which was converted by Marley Wilson. And while Liverpool pushed for an equalizer, it took a while to come.
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Will Wright, the summer signing from Salford City, held the ball up well. Kieran Morrison went close with one effort and he is another player to watch out for in the coming months.
Coming off the bench, though, with around 20 minutes of the game remaining, USMNT starlet Keyrol Figueroa netted his 11th goal in 12 appearances to make it 1-1.
And then deep into stoppage time, Morrison converted a penalty to complete the turnaround.
Joshua Sonni-Lambie made headlines with a first-half hat-trick against Burnley for Liverpool's Under-18s
Joshua Sonni-Lambie made headlines with a first-half hat-trick against Burnley for Liverpool's Under-18s(Image: Getty Images)
Earlier in the weekend, Liverpool's U18s side beat Burnley 7-1. Josh Sonnie-Lambie scored a hat-trick in that game, while 14-year-old Luca Eden also netted. In doing so, Eden became the youngest Liverpool goalscorer at that level.
"That’s probably the one thing that we’ve been trying to work with Sonni-Lambie," U18s boss Simon Wiles told The RedMen TV when asked about the striker's improving output.
"We know he’s a talent, but it’s how we can use it in the right moments to give him the best opportunities in and around the final third.
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"And there’s been a lot of work that we’ve done in and around him with the rest of the staff.
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"Not just with him, but on the top line. But he’s starting to connect now, and he’s starting to see, we feel, the benefits of actually how hard you’ve got to work.
"And then obviously, when you do get your moments, it’s like being more ruthless in front of goal, which he has shown. And obviously, he’s confident."
Liverpool U21s are next in action away at Brighton on Friday. The Reds' U18s host Derby County earlier the same day.