Rio Ngumoha was on FaceTime with his friends after scoring the winner at Newcastle United last August, then got home at about 2am or 3am because Liverpool’s return trip was a long one. The 17-year-old said he even managed some sleep after the night that made him the club’s youngest goalscorer in history.
“To be fair, I did actually get some sleep!” Ngumoha said in a recent fan Q&A with Sky Sports. “I was excited.” The forward, who has made 22 appearances for Liverpool this season, said his mum still watches the Newcastle goal back all the time, a reminder of how quickly one finish changed the way he is seen at Anfield.
The strike at St James’ Park was more than a winner. It was the moment Liverpool found a teenager who could deliver in the biggest league noise of all, and it arrived with the kind of late drama that sticks in a club’s memory. Ngumoha said he did not really understand the scale of becoming Liverpool’s youngest ever scorer at the time, and that what stayed with him was the feeling, not the record.
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“No, not really. Just pure emotion, just passion. 100 per cent [my favourite memory so far],” he said. He added that his memory of the goal was not technical or measured, just the rush of the moment. That is the part his family has held on to too, especially his mother, who keeps replaying the finish.
Ngumoha’s rise has also been shaped by the people closest to him. He said his brother showed him belief from a young age and would sometimes skip college to train him. That same brother, he said, still talks to him about mentality and staying mentally strong, a lesson that matters more now that he is in and around the first team every week.
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One of the first-team coaches told Ngumoha he would be on Liverpool’s bench for the first time, and the teenager said he rang his brother first before telling his mum. His first taste of being a substitute came against Southampton in the Carabao Cup last season, a small but important step on the way to a season that has already brought 22 outings for the senior side.
The forward also spoke warmly about Mohamed Salah, calling him very friendly and crediting him with blunt advice about what separates the best from the rest. “Yeah, one time after training he told me the top, top players, along with your ability they also get goals and assists,” Ngumoha said. “Obviously he has broken many records, so him saying that to me and saying he knows I’m a good player but to get to the next level just add the goals and assists.”
That is the gap Ngumoha now appears determined to close. He said he is very confident in himself, and when asked about his ambitions, he did not hide them. “Hopefully a Ballon d’Or!” he said. He also wants major club trophies with Liverpool, including multiple Premier Leagues and Champions Leagues, while the player he said he would have loved to share a pitch with was Neymar.
Shirt numbers matter to young players in ways outsiders often miss, and Ngumoha said 73 “holds a special place in my heart,” because it was the first number he received. Asked about a dream number, he answered simply: 11. For Liverpool, the broader story is that a teenager who broke a club record last August is no longer just a curiosity. He is already part of the senior conversation, and the next test is whether the goals and assists Salah talked about begin to match the confidence he already carries.
