Rio Ngumoha
{{short description|English association football player (born 2008)}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Rio Ngumoha
| fullname = Rio Chima Ngumoha{{cite web |title=2024/25 Premier League squad lists |url=https://www.premierleague.com/news/4110099 |publisher=Premier League |date=13 September 2024|access-date=11 January 2025 |language=en}}
| birth_place = Newham, London, England
| height = {{convert|1.70|m|order=flip}}
| image =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2008|08|29|df=y}}
| position = Forward
| currentclub = Liverpool
| clubnumber = 73
| youthyears1 = 2016–2024
| youthclubs1 = Chelsea
| youthyears2 = 2024–
| youthclubs2 = Liverpool
| years1 = 2025–
| clubs1 = Liverpool
| caps1 = 0
| goals1 = 0
| nationalyears1 = 2023
| nationalteam1 = England U15
| nationalcaps1 = 4
| nationalgoals1 = 2
| nationalyears2 = 2023–2024
| nationalteam2 = England U16
| nationalcaps2 = 9
| nationalgoals2 = 2
| nationalyears3 = 2024–
| nationalteam3 = England U17
| nationalcaps3 = 9
| nationalgoals3 = 2
| club-update =
| ntupdate = 12:40, 26 March 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.
Club career
= Chelsea =
== Youth Career ==
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.{{cite web|website=Talksport|url=https://talksport.com/football/2402643/rio-ngumoha-liverpool-southampton-ballon-dor-raheem-sterling|title= Rio Ngumoha believes he can achieve 23-year Liverpool Ballon d’Or feat after Raheem Sterling tip|accessdate=19 December 2024|first=Joe|last=Brophy|date=18 December 2024}}
= Liverpool =
== Youth Career ==
Ngumoha joined Liverpool in the summer of 2024.{{cite web|url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/who-rio-ngumoha-chelsea-wonderkid-29519929.amp|website=Liverpool Echo|accessdate=14 September 2024|title= Who is Rio Ngumoha? Liverpool wonderkid 'worth £60m' signed from Chelsea|first1=Amie|last1=Wilson|first2=Tom|last2=Cavilla|date=5 September 2024}}{{cite web|url= https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/liverpool-plan-rio-ngumoha-new-29932754.amp |website=Liverpool Echo|accessdate=14 September 2024|title= Liverpool plan for Rio Ngumoha as new signing finally ready for debut before Milan trip |first=Ian|last=Doyle|date=14 September 2024}}{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5628841/2024/07/10/liverpool-rio-ngumoha-transfer-chelsea/|url-access=subscription|title=Liverpool set to sign Rio Ngumoha, 15, from Chelsea|first=James|last=Pearce|website=The Athletic|date=10 July 2024|accessdate=14 September 2024}} 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.{{cite web|first1=James|last1=Pearce|first2=Gregg|last2=Evans|date=24 September 2024|accessdate=25 September 2024|website=The Athletic|title= Why Rio Ngumoha is already the talk of Liverpool’s academy|url= https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5767200/2024/09/24/rio-ngumoha-liverpool-academy/?source=user_shared_article}}
== 2024–25: First team call-up ==
In the autumn of the 2024–25 season Ngumoha was called-up to train with the Liverpool first team squad by manager Arne Slot.{{cite web|url= https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/liverpool-handed-welcome-sight-talented-30331511.amp|website=Liverpool Echo|accessdate=18 December 2024|title=Liverpool handed welcome sight as talented player makes return to Arne Slot training session|first=James|last=Quinlan|date=8 November 2024}}{{cite web|website=empireofthekop|url=https://www.empireofthekop.com/2024/11/23/rio-ngumoha-liverpool-training/|accessdate=18 December 2024|title=Presence of teenage academy starlet in Liverpool training suggests Arne Slot adoration|date=20 November 2024|first=Peter Kenny |last=Jones}}{{cite web|url=https://tribuna.com/amp/en/news/liverpoolfc-2024-12-10-rio-ngumoha-impresses-in-training-but-misses-out-on-girona-clash-due-to-uefa-rules/|website=Tribuna.com|accessdate=18 December 2024|title= After impressing in training, Rio Ngumoha misses out on Girona clash due to UEFA rules|date=13 December 2024}} He was named amongst the match day substitutes for Liverpool's EFL Cup tie against Southampton on 18 December 2024.{{cite web|url=https://www.thisisanfield.com/2024/12/who-is-rio-ngumoha-16-year-old-winger-named-in-liverpools-first-team/|title= Who is Rio Ngumoha? 16-year-old winger named in Liverpool’s first team|date=18 December 2024|website=This is Anfield|accessdate=18 December 2024|first=Jack|last=Lusby}} 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,{{cite web|url= https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/rio-ngumoha-becomes-liverpools-second-youngest-debutant?amp=1 |website=Liverpool FC|accessdate=17 January 2025|title= Rio Ngumoha becomes Liverpool's second-youngest debutant|first=Chris|last=Shaw|date=12 January 2025}} before being substituted off for Jayden Danns in the 71st minute.{{cite web|url=https://www.thisisanfield.com/2025/01/who-is-rio-ngumoha-liverpools-surprise-16-year-old-starter-in-fa-cup/|title=Who is Rio Ngumoha? Liverpool’s surprise 16-year-old starter in FA Cup|date=11 January 2025|website=This is Anfield|accessdate=11 January 2025|first=Jack|last=Lusby}}
International career
Ngumoha made his England under-15 and England U16 debuts in 2023. In October 2024 he played for England U17.{{cite web |title=England MU17s squad named for October qualifiers|url=https://www.englandfootball.com/articles/2024/oct/18/england-mens-under-17s-squad-announcement-october-20241810|publisher=England Football|date=18 October 2024|access-date=11 January 2025}}
Style of play
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.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2024/oct/14/next-generation-2024-20-of-the-best-talents-at-premier-league-clubs|title=Next Generation 2024: 20 of the best talents at Premier League clubs|first1=Marcus|last1=Christenson|first2=Steven|last2=Bloor|first3=Garry|last3=Blight|website=The Guardian|date=14 October 2024|accessdate=14 October 2024}}
Career statistics
=Club=
{{Updated|match played 11 January 2025}}{{Soccerway|900221|accessdate=11 January 2025}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition | ||||||||||
| rowspan="2" | Club
! rowspan="2" | Season ! colspan="3" | League ! colspan="2" | FA Cup ! colspan="2" | EFL Cup ! colspan="2" | Europe ! colspan="2" | Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Liverpool
| 2024–25 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| colspan="3" | Career total
! 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{UEFA player}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ngumoha, Rio}}
Category:English men's footballers
Category:England men's youth international footballers
Category:Men's association football forwards
Category:Liverpool F.C. players
Category:Black British sportsmen