Manager says the teenager ready to start in the Champions League against PSG
Arne Slot has compared Rio Ngumoha to Mohamed Salah after the teenager played a key role in Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Fulham at Anfield.
The 17-year-old Ngumoha opened the scoring in the 36th minute against the Cottagers with an excellent individual effort, marking his first goal at home for Liverpool. Salah added a second four minutes later, taking his tally to 256 goals for the club and sealing an important Premier League victory for the Reds.
Slot praised the youngster’s development and suggested he is now ready to contribute regularly at senior level.
“He’s not only the long-term future but also the near future,” said Slot. “I said one or two months ago his playing time would increase because he’s got stronger and stronger.
“He’s shown that it wasn’t only a nice trick but there was more and more end product to what he did, and more power, which is needed if you play against the best defenders in the world.
“I don’t think anyone is surprised he scored his first [Anfield] goal. He has such a special quality you don’t see very often in football anymore, dominating the one-v-one situations.
“That’s what he did when he scored his goal, making the ball free by twisting and turning and then hitting it in like a Mo Salah finish. It’s pleasing to see that he did what we know makes him special.”
The result eased pressure on Slot following a difficult run that included heavy defeats to Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain.
Attention now turns to the Champions League, where Liverpool face PSG at Anfield needing to overturn a 2-0 first-leg deficit. Slot indicated Ngumoha, who was subbed off shortly after the hour, is in contention to start the match.
“I think he is ready,” said Slot. “The question is can he do this two days later? Would he be able to play at that level? Yes.
“It’s not like at the beginning of the season when he was a young player getting experience of the first team. Now he is someone I can pick for any game, so also Tuesday.”
