Rio Ngomoha: I want to show everyone what I can do for Liverpool

like Liverpool After they walked out of the City Ground on Sunday, Rio Ngomoha was keen to talk.

He may only be 17 years old, but there are already signs that the maturity he possesses on the pitch correlates with his behavior off the pitch too.

Such was his impact in Liverpool’s win over Nottingham Forest – including playing his part in Alexis McAllister’s disallowed goal after Mohamed Salah was substituted in the 77th minute – that he won praise everywhere.

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand said: “Top drawer. Game-changer for them. A winger who wants to beat his player and produce performances with a combination of speed and finesse.”

Former Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge added: “Every time I watch their stars, he looks brilliant. Direct, fearless, always trying to influence the game. He deserves more minutes. Simple.”

More minutes is what her stars want. So far, the teenager has been restricted to just 89 minutes in the Premier League despite being in the team for all but one match. He is determined to show everyone his abilities.

When he came on against Forest, was the mentality enough to make a statement?

“Yes, I know I need to at least do something to try and influence the game, whether that’s on or off the ball. That could be tackling, pressing to get the ball back, putting balls into the box, shooting on goal, or just beating my man,” Ngumoha said.

“I think every time I get called up to the team, I want to show everyone what I can really do.”

When Njomuha scored a dramatic 100th-minute winner against Newcastle last August, becoming Liverpool’s youngest ever goalscorer, there was an outward feeling that he would be seen more frequently this season.

However, Slott has managed his playing time, with the teenager – who left Chelsea to join Liverpool in 2024 – only starting in the UEFA Cup and FA Cup so far.

When Luis Diaz left for Bayern Munich last summer, Liverpool opted to create a path for their stars rather than go for Bradley Barkola or Malik Fofana.

Given the recent struggles of Cody Jacobo, who has played more minutes than any Liverpool striker this season, perhaps their stars deserve a chance in his favored left position.

On the right flank, Salah played nine Premier League matches without scoring a goal, and that was the side where their stars shone on Sunday.

“Hopefully [more game-time] Soon, he continues to press and gain the manager’s trust, and hopefully that will lead to more minutes,” insisted Njomuha, who has continued to play at academy level in recent weeks.

Last weekend, the day after an errant goal against Brighton in the FA Cup was disallowed, Njomuha scored a screamer against West Brom at Under-21 level.

“I feel like if you don’t play a lot you can stagnate, so I want to earn more minutes – whether it’s with the Under-18s or Under-21s – I’m still very young, so I’m available to play, so I’ll play in any game I can play,” he said.