Rio Ngumoha's post-match interview after scoring a 100th-minute winner against Newcastle has gone viral, with fans reacting to the youngster's joy. The 16-year-old was brought on in second-half stoppage time, and his goal made him the fourth-youngest Premier League goalscorer in history, behind James Vaughan, James Milner and Wayne Rooney.
Much has already been said about the starlet's potential long before this season, with Ngumoha starring at youth level last term and making an impact during the Reds' pre-season tour this summer. And while his talent hasn't been in question, it appears neither is his mentality, with fans all making similar comments based on his response to his milestone moment.
Ngumoha's Viral Post-Match Interview
While Ngumoha was not allowed to speak to external broadcasters after the game, he did give an interview to LFC TV, and his excitement over what he had just achieved was written all over his face.
"I'm buzzing," the teenager summarised. "I'm so happy to score, especially the winner. What a good moment. Special feeling."
The youngster went on to explain how he was introduced to the fold and what was said to him prior to his introduction:
"It was crazy. He just looked at me, pointed at me, just like 'quickly, get ready.' You just have to come on and make an impact. Thank God I did that. All of my teammates encourage me that, if it's on, to beat my man or take them on. But I've got to mix it up sometimes because, if there are two players there, then there might be a pass or a one-two and I find myself in a scoring area.
"Normally, coaches are saying 'make the back post.' So the fact I was able to make the back post was crazy. Mo and Dom, put it through his legs and yeah, when I was one-on-one I just smashed it. Dom just knew I was there. He even said to me in the changing room. As the ball came, I just backed myself to score. I don't even know, it's just crazy."
The wholesome exchange has since done the rounds on social media, with the response to Ngumoha's words - and more so his reaction - being overwhelmingly positive.
"So calm, confident, and well spoken, especially for such a young lad. Credit to his parents and family. He's gonna be a star, isn't he..." responded one fan, while another added: "Lovely moment. Good questions posed – and Rio comes across as humble, thankful and an honest lad. Seems very grounded and very happy for the opportunity to play for this club."
A third stated: "I'm so used to seeing lobotomised PR-trained interviews, this is so, so cool to see someone being themselves after a game like this," while a fourth said: "Bless his little face, you can see how happy he is, the dream! Enjoy it, more to come, hard work starts now."
A fifth posted: "He's going straight to the top. Got confidence of Sturridge," with a sixth saying: "He's not just a phenomenal talent, he also seems like a very mature and humble person. His comments about not getting carried away by the hype in this interview prove it."
The response, though, was perhaps best summarised by one final comment which simply read: "What an interview - 16 years old. He’s buzzing."
Ngumoha's goal even created further history, as he is now the second-youngest debut goalscorer in Premier League history, with just the aforementioned Vaughan ahead of him. And while his reaction to it was filled with joy, it was still far more relaxed than Jamie Carragher's celebration immediately after, who was caught sprinting around the Sky Sports studio.