Cody Gakpo has joined the chorus of praise for Liverpool starlet Rio Ngumoha after his star turn during the Reds’ win over Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
Ngumoha changed the game after replacing Gakpo at the City Ground, leading to calls for him to start Saturday’s clash with West Ham.
And while speaking to Liverpoolfc.com ahead of the game against the Hammers, Gakpo has admitted that everyone at the club is ‘excited’ over Ngumoha, and has also offered some praise for fellow youngster Trey Nyoni.
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Gakpo expecting more brilliance from Ngumoha
For the time being, it looks unlikely that Slot will buckle and start Ngumoha against West Ham.
Nevertheless, he has been making waves behind the scenes for some time, with Sunday’s performance at the City Ground not a surprise to the likes of Gakpo.
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“Very excited,” the Dutchman answered when asked about his 17-year-old teammate. “He’s a very good player at this age already and he showed that again when he came on. I think everybody’s excited.”
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“We just have to wait and see what he will do in the next games when he’s playing and I think it’s up to him to keep improving himself in ways he can and to keep doing what he’s doing to become what he thinks and what we think and what we see he can be. So, yeah, very happy to have him on the team obviously. It’s nice.”
Asked to comment on Ngumoha’s mentality, Gakpo praised the teenager’s character, while making sure to mention Nyoni as well.
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Trey Nyoni in action during Liverpool's pre-season friendly against Athletic Bilbao at Anfield. Rio Ngumoha of Liverpool celebrates at full-time following the team's victory in the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Liverpool at St James' Park
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“Yeah, he’s [Ngumoha] a great character,” said the 26-year-old. “I think all the other players at the moment who are young and training with us are very good characters. I think they all help each other as well to stay calm, and he’s doing that.
“I think Trey [Nyoni] is doing that as well, and they are often together. I think that’s very good for them. They don’t get carried away by either good or bad things that happen, and I think that will only benefit them in the future when they’re a little bit older.”
Although Gakpo is generally considered the player with the most to lose following Ngumoha’s breakthrough, it is nice to hear him being supportive of the talent both behind the scenes and in public.
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