Andy Robertson shares what Rio Ngumoha is really like ‘off the pitch’ at Liverpool

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Rio Ngumoha came off the bench to make his Champions League debut against Atletico Madrid.

The Reds left it late for the fifth game in a row to claim a victory, with this one coming from a corner and headed home from captain Virgil van Dijk.

It was the perfect, but dramatic, start to their Champions League campaign, but there were many positives to take from it for Arne Slot.

Not only did Alexander Isak make his Liverpool debut, but 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha got his first taste of European football.

The winger came on in the 74th minute of the game and showed some promising signs, with the Englishman able to go home very happy indeed.

To even be given this chance by his manager is a very telling sign, and vice captain Andy Robertson has revealed exactly why he was given this opportunity.



Photo by Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images

At Ngumoha’s age, it would be very easy for it to all go to his head and get carried away, but so far, he looks to be coping well.

And, based on the club he is at and players he has around him, it is unlikely that this will happen to him, especially after what everyone seems to say about him.

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Robertson is the latest person to praise Ngumoha for his attitude, with the Scotsman believing that he has earned the right to be playing Champions League football.

“He’s brilliant.

Off the pitch he is so respectful to us and only wants to improve, and that is all you can ask of the young lads.

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“He’s a huge asset for us, you’ve seen that today as the manager trusts him in a big game like this.

He was trusted to come on and make a difference for us.

“He definitely has a big future for us, but the here and now does not look too bad either.”

During pre-season, everyone had tipped Ngumoha to explode for the Reds and become a key player for them off the bench week after week.

However, this has not quite happened and despite scoring the winner against Newcastle, the 17-year-old only gets a few minutes here and there.

But it is clear that Slot likes him a lot and that he is gaining his manager’s trust, with this certainly a big game to bring him on in.

He got a fair few minutes too, indicating that he is trusted on the biggest of stages to make a difference

With Everton up next, this could be a game where he proves another point, and with the time to recover not very long, he might get a little bit more time on the pitch to prove himself further.