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Rio Ngumoha is fearless, exciting and ready to make his mark as an England player. The Liverpool winger narrowly missed the cut for the World Cup squad last summer but he impressed during the pre-tournament camp in Florida and has forced his way into Thomas Tuchel’s plans after an excellent start to the season.
Opportunity with the National Team
There is an opportunity for the 18-year-old to advance his case with Bukayo Saka injured and more experienced players left out for the Nations League games against Croatia and Spain this week. Ngumoha, who is dangerous on both flanks, has a chance of starting when Croatia visit Wembley on Thursday and would love to test himself against Lamine Yamal when England face Spain in Madrid on Sunday.
Speaking to Sport | The Guardian, Ngumoha shared his admiration for Barcelona’s 19-year-old winger, noting that Lamine Yamal’s fearless play inspires him and other young athletes. Ngumoha’s own fearless style was forged playing in cages near his house, and he explained that he always wants to beat his full-back and get supporters off their seats.
Career Journey and Move to Liverpool
Ngumoha’s football journey began in east London, where he played for a local team before traveling across the capital to attend Chelsea training sessions after school. He later made a controversial move from Chelsea’s academy to Liverpool in 2024, prompting a tribunal to order Liverpool to pay a minimum of £2.8m. Ngumoha explained that he wanted a new challenge and saw a clearer route into the first team at Anfield.
The young winger lives in the north with his brother James, who acts as his agent, and his mother Liz. Ngumoha expressed immense gratitude for his family’s support, noting the sacrifices his mother made by leaving her job at a school to move up to Liverpool with them.
Ambitions for the Future
Despite early success, including scoring a sensational last-minute winner for Liverpool against Newcastle on his Premier League debut at age 16, Ngumoha has remained grounded by leaning on his support network and blocking out social media noise. He counts Neymar, Eden Hazard, and Mohamed Salah as inspirations, and expressed his belief that he can one day win the Ballon d’Or.
Now experiencing his third England camp, Ngumoha has grown more comfortable around senior players like captain Harry Kane, whose dedication in training he praised. Having starred as a substitute in a World Cup warm-up win against New Zealand in Tampa, Ngumoha is eager to seize his latest opportunities on the international stage.
