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Liverpool starlet Rio Ngumoha is interviewed by LFC TV(Image: LFC TV)
Rio Ngumoha is determined to stake his claim under Arne Slot as his impressive pre-season for Liverpool continues.
Marinos during the Reds’ tour of the Far East.
The teenager, who joined Liverpool from Chelsea last summer and was handed his first team debut against Accrington Stanley back in January, had already caught the eye in summer outings against Preston North End and Stoke City.
Ngumoha, who is set to sign his first professional contract following his 17th birthday at the end of August, has made the most of his opportunities in the absence of Luis Diaz, ahead of the Colombian’s £65.5m move to Bayern Munich.
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The match against Yokohama marked the first time the forward has not started a pre-season game this summer.
But having made an impact off the bench, Ngumoha is hungry for more as he revealed the impact one of his senior team-mates is having on him.
“(It was) definitely a very big night,” he said.
“I feel like coming off the bench to make an impact was really good, and obviously it was nice to get a goal.
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“Like I said last time (after scoring against Stoke), that’s the first of many.
He’s so experienced and one of the best left-backs in the world.
“I feel like having him behind me, I can’t really ask for anything more.
But at the same time, I just want to show the manager what I can do.
“Not get too complacent because I just want to do bigger and better things for me and the club.”
Ngumoha is not the only Liverpool teenager catching the eye in pre-season, with Trey Nyoni getting on the scoresheet against Yokohama.
The 18-year-old has made six appearances for the Reds to date, since signing from Leicester City in the summer of 2023.
But he’s admitted this feels like his first ‘proper pre-season’ as part of the first team.
“Yeah, it definitely (feels different to last summer),” he told LFC TV.
“Coming off the bench, you want to show what you can do.
“Both of us (Nyoni and Ngumoha), we know we’ve got that ability so it’s just about us showing it as much as possible.
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