Liverpool loanee Ifeanyi Ndukwe scored his first goal for Levante in their dramatic 3-3 draw against Sevilla at the Ciutat de Valencia on Monday night.
The 18-year-old found the net with a right-footed shot from the centre of the box into the bottom-left corner, with the goal confirmed following a VAR review in the 100th minute.
Ndukwe had earlier gifted Sevilla the opening goal with a misplaced pass that allowed Robbie Ure to round the goalkeeper and score. However, he made amends with his late goal in a chaotic encounter.
It was Ndukwe’s first start for Levante since joining on loan from Liverpool in the summer. He had previously featured as a substitute against Barcelona and Villarreal.
The teenager impressed under Andoni Iraola during pre-season after joining from Austria Vienna, but a move to Spain was considered the best next step in his development.
He could not remain at Anfield because he did not qualify for a work permit, although a clause in the loan deal could allow him to return to Liverpool in January.
Despite impressing in pre-season and leaving fans eager to see more of the teenager, Ndukwe did not feature against Como in Liverpool’s final friendly on August 16. Virgil van Dijk had previously labelled Ndukwe a “big talent” after playing alongside him in the first half against Monaco.
“Obviously, I saw the games in pre-season in America,” Van Dijk added. “Big talent, big guy and he wants to learn. I had a brief conversation with him, especially in the last couple of days.
“For him, it is just progressing. I know he has to go on loan I think so let’s see where he ends up. The matter of fact is that he has to go on loan and wherever he goes, he needs to learn, get better and be ready when he comes back to hopefully stay there.”
Ndukwe must accumulate 15 points across several categories while on loan to qualify automatically for a work permit. The higher the level of the league he plays in, the more points he can earn.
It is understood that the required tally could be reached by January with the right move, potentially allowing him to return to Liverpool for the second half of the season if recalled. However, this possibility could be a drawback for clubs interested in signing him on loan.
98′ |3-3| ¡GOOOOOOOOLLLLL! ¡GOOOOOOOOLLLL de NDKWEEEEEEEEEEE!
#LevanteUDSevilla https://t.co/yeVTbXxwR8
— Levante UD (@LevanteUD) October 12, 2026
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