Rio Ngumoha had to be content with another late cameo off the substitutes’ bench today, but he still added to his burgenoning reputation during his quarter-hour on the pitch.
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The teenage Liverpool winger made a standout impression when he came on against Nottingham Forest last week, with many pundits and journalists calling for Arne Slot to hand the 17-year-old more frequent game-time.
The Reds’ head coach said himself on the eve of this afternoon’s 5-2 win over West Ham that the starlet can expect ‘more minutes’ for the first team ‘in the near future’, and the youngster put his best foot forward again today.
Ngumoha torments West Ham with mazy dribble
Ten minutes after coming on to replace Hugo Ekitike, Ngumoha took possession on the left flank and charged towards the penalty area, skipping past Mateus Fernandes and then charging at Aaron Wan-Bissaka, throwing in some cheeky stepovers for good measure.
As the Irons defender backed off, the Liverpool forward surged into a position from which he poked a shot towards goal that Mads Hermansen pushed away.
Another eye-catching cameo from Ngumoha this afternoon
There mightn’t have been anything tangible to show from that moment from the 17-year-old, but it once again showcased his supreme confidence in running at opponents many years his senior and keeping them on strings as they try to guess his next move.
Ngumoha only had six touches of the ball during his 15 minutes or so on the pitch (Sofascore), but he still caught the eye with that mazy dribble into the West Ham penalty area as he sought a first goal at Anfield to put some added gloss on a fine result for Liverpool.
The Reds have two more matches to play in the next six days as they face Wolves at Molineux twice in quick succession, firstly in the Premier League and then in the FA Cup, and the close proximity of those fixtures could plausibly see the teenager handed a start in one.
That seems more likely to come in the latter game on Friday, but another eye-catching cameo off the bench today could see him rewarded with more top-flight minutes on Tuesday night, especially if LFC need a flash of inspiration in the final quarter of the match.
Ngumoha is a pure joy of a footballer to watch, with his dazzling dribbling ability and supreme self-confidence getting Liverpool fans off their seats every time he takes possession near the penalty area. It’s scary of think about how high a ceiling he could have at this level!
You can view Ngumoha’s dribbling skill below, taken from Stan Sport’s match coverage and shared via @EdwigeDede on X:
— moutardier edwige (@EdwigeDede) February 28, 2026
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