I had tear in my eye after Rio Ngumoha goal – his Liverpool behaviour is spot on
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Rio Ngumoha scored the winning goal against Newcastle United(Image: Getty Images)Theo Walcott held back tears as Rio Ngumoha scored for Liverpool on his Premier League debut, citing how the memories rolled back from his own playing career.
Just three days shy of his 17th birthday, the budding talent was deployed from the bench during the Reds' clash with Newcastle United at St James' Park in the 96th minute.
With the dramatic clash tied at 2-2, it took Ngumoha just four minutes to break the deadlock and ensure that the defending Premier League champions left the north east with all three points, meeting the ball unmarked in the centre of the box before blazing it past a rooted Nick Pope with finesse.
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So he didn't know quite where to go.
Walcott was moved as he watched Ngumoha live out his dream(Image: UEFA via Getty Images)
"But what I really loved was his team-mates' reaction on him because they feel it as well for him.
And I think he brought that out in everyone that night, particularly Liverpool fans, of course."
After spending the majority of his youth progression with Chelsea, Ngumoha joined the Liverpool academy last summer before receiving a call-up to train with Arne Slot's first team in the autumn.
He made his senior debut for the Reds during a 4-0 FA Cup win over Accrington Stanley in January, finding himself as the youngest player to start a first-team game in the club's history at just 16 years and 135 days old.
And while Ngumoha will struggle to start with Liverpool in the Premier League any time soon, given the firepower of Cody Gakpo, Hugo Ekitike, Mohamed Salah and Alexander Isak across the front, he is certainly a wonderkid who Slot will be monitoring closely for the future.
Rio Ngumoha has demonstrated a wealth of talent at a young age(Image: Offside via Getty Images)
Similarly to Ngumoha, Walcott kicked off his own career with Southampton in his teenage years, making his debut for the first team in a goalless Championship clash with Wolves in 2005 at the age of 16 years and 143 days old.
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