Rio Ngumoha
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Rio Chima Ngumoha[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 29 August 2008 | ||
| Place of birth | Newham, London, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Liverpool | ||
| Number | 73 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2016–2024 | Chelsea | ||
| 2024– | Liverpool | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2025– | Liverpool | 0 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2023 | England U15 | 4 | (2) |
| 2023–2024 | England U16 | 9 | (2) |
| 2024– | England U17 | 5 | (0) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21:54, 16 January 2025 (UTC) | |||
Rio Chima Ngumoha (born 29 August 2008) is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacker or attacking midfielder for Premier League club Liverpool.[2]
Club career
[edit]Chelsea
[edit]Youth Career
[edit]Ngumoha was a member of the Chelsea academy and scored in Chelsea's 3-1 win over Wolves in the U17 Premier League Cup final in April 2024.[3]
Liverpool
[edit]Youth Career
[edit]Ngumoha joined Liverpool in the summer of 2024.[4][5][6] An attacking player, he made his debut for the Liverpool U18 side as a 16 year-old at the start of the 2024-25 season against Blackburn Rovers U18. During the September international break Ngumoha trained with members of the first-team still in Liverpool. That month, he made his debut in the UEFA Youth League against AC Milan.[7]
2024–25: First team call-up
[edit]In the autumn of the 2024–25 season Ngumoha was called-up to train with the Liverpool first team squad by manager Arne Slot.[8][9][10] He was named amongst the match day substitutes for Liverpool's EFL Cup tie against Southampton on 18 December 2024.[11] On 11 January 2025, Ngumoha made his professional debut as a starter in Liverpool's 4-0 win against Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup. He became the youngest Liverpool player to appear in the FA Cup aged 16 years, 135 days and at the same time became the youngest player to start a first-team game in the club's history,[12] before being substituted off for Jayden Danns in the 71st minute.[13]
International career
[edit]Ngumoha made his England under-15 and England U16 debuts in 2023.[2] In October 2024 he played for England U17.[14]
Style of play
[edit]Described as a “skillful” and “creative forward" Ngumoha was included in The Guardian’s Next Generation 2024: 20 of the best talents at Premier League clubs series.[15]
Career statistics
[edit]Club
[edit]- As of match played 11 January 2025[2]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | EFL Cup | Europe | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Liverpool | 2024–25 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Career total | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
References
[edit]- ^ "2024/25 Premier League squad lists". Premier League. 13 September 2024. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
- ^ a b c d Rio Ngumoha at Soccerway. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
- ^ Brophy, Joe (18 December 2024). "Rio Ngumoha believes he can achieve 23-year Liverpool Ballon d'Or feat after Raheem Sterling tip". Talksport. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- ^ Wilson, Amie; Cavilla, Tom (5 September 2024). "Who is Rio Ngumoha? Liverpool wonderkid 'worth £60m' signed from Chelsea". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
- ^ Doyle, Ian (14 September 2024). "Liverpool plan for Rio Ngumoha as new signing finally ready for debut before Milan trip". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
- ^ Pearce, James (10 July 2024). "Liverpool set to sign Rio Ngumoha, 15, from Chelsea". The Athletic. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
- ^ Pearce, James; Evans, Gregg (24 September 2024). "Why Rio Ngumoha is already the talk of Liverpool's academy". The Athletic. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
- ^ Quinlan, James (8 November 2024). "Liverpool handed welcome sight as talented player makes return to Arne Slot training session". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- ^ Jones, Peter Kenny (20 November 2024). "Presence of teenage academy starlet in Liverpool training suggests Arne Slot adoration". empireofthekop. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- ^ "After impressing in training, Rio Ngumoha misses out on Girona clash due to UEFA rules". Tribuna.com. 13 December 2024. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- ^ Lusby, Jack (18 December 2024). "Who is Rio Ngumoha? 16-year-old winger named in Liverpool's first team". This is Anfield. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- ^ Shaw, Chris (12 January 2025). "Rio Ngumoha becomes Liverpool's second-youngest debutant". Liverpool FC. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
- ^ Lusby, Jack (11 January 2025). "Who is Rio Ngumoha? Liverpool's surprise 16-year-old starter in FA Cup". This is Anfield. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
- ^ "England MU17s squad named for October qualifiers". England Football. 18 October 2024. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
- ^ Christenson, Marcus; Bloor, Steven; Blight, Garry (14 October 2024). "Next Generation 2024: 20 of the best talents at Premier League clubs". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
External links
[edit]- Rio Ngumoha – UEFA competition record (archive)
