Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Rio Ngumoha has taken another step forward during the September/October international break after making his first competitive appearance for England.
The Liverpool youngster was something of a surprise inclusion in Thomas Tuchel’s squad, having started the season in slightly lukewarm fashion at club level.
Some of Ngumoha‘s issues have arisen from Andoni Iraola’s decision to try him out on the right as he looks to fill the sizeable gap left behind by Mohamed Salah. Although he is clearly more suited to a left-sided berth, Ngumoha has revealed that he recently had some valuable advice from Salah himself about how to improve all across the pitch.
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Salah wants to see more output from Ngumoha
Ngumoha was praised by Gary Lineker for his performance during England’s win over Czechia on Tuesday. However, in what was his sixth appearance of the season for club and country, the 18-year-old again failed to register a goal or an assist.
While that may have been a big ask having only spent 20 minutes on the pitch, it is something that Ngumoha needs to work on. For all of his talent, he has only two goals and one assist in 35 appearances for Liverpool.
Salah, on the other hand, was a master at racking up numbers, and when asked in an interview with ITV Sport to name the player he has taken the most from, it was not a surprise to hear Ngumoha give some credit to Salah for helping him to get more from himself.
“I don’t think I really play like anyone, but I think watching, when I was growing up, was Neymar, he was my favourite,” the teenager replied.
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“But I think learning, the player that I probably learned the most from is Mohamed Salah when he was at Liverpool. He taught me a lot, especially towards the back end when he knew he was leaving. He helped me a lot with the mindset and how to like, look at his numbers.
“He was always telling me like ‘Rio, you know you’re a good player, but to reach the top you have to add the goals and assists and it will come naturally’ but you’re just going through like little things like that.”
Ngumoha praises Raheem Sterling influence
Along with Salah, Ngumoha has previously named Raheem Sterling as being an influence on the early part of his career as he was coming through at Chelsea.
There are similarities between Ngumoha and the former Liverpool winger, with Sterling becoming something of a mentor while they played together.
“When I was at Chelsea actually, I had a couple sessions with the first team and he was in one of them,” Ngumoha said.
“And then he came to watch another one, and he just pulled me to the side and I remember him saying like just always stay alive. ‘You know your ability, but in the games sometimes it might not be going your way and then you get that one chance, you have to be alive for and that one chance can change the whole game.'”
Though he is now without a club at just 31, Sterling had a super career which Ngumoha would do well to replicate. If he can get anywhere near the levels Liverpool’s former No. 31 reached, he will have done brilliantly.
Photo by Attila KISBENEDEK / AFP via Getty Images
Photo by Attila KISBENEDEK / AFP via Getty Images
Wirtz
Photo by Image Photo Agency/Getty Images
Photo by Image Photo Agency/Getty Images
Liverpool DP
Liverpool DP
Photo by Claudio Villa - FIGC/FIGC via Getty Images
Photo by Claudio Villa - FIGC/FIGC via Getty Images