Van Dijk hails 16yo Ngumoha's 'dream debut'
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Aug 25, 2025, 05:39 PM ETVirgil van Dijk described Liverpool Rio Ngumoha's first Premier League appearance as a "dream debut" after the teenager's dramatic late winner at Newcastle on Monday.
The 16-year-old came off the bench to score deep into stoppage time in Monday's Premier League encounter at St.
I'm very pleased for Rio."
With his late strike, Ngumoha, who turns 17 on Friday, became the fourth-youngest goalscorer in Premier League history, trailing only James Vaughan, James Milner and Wayne Rooney.
His goal, arriving in the 10th minute of second half stoppage-time, also ranked fourth among the latest goals scored in the competition.
Rio Ngumoha's stoppage-time winner earned Liverpool all three points at St.
James' Park. George Wood/Getty Images
"It was a great goal for a 16-year-old," Liverpool head coach Arne Slot said.
25, 2004
The game was played in a fervent atmosphere which owed a lot to Liverpool's failed attempt to sign Newcastle's unsettled striker Alexander Isak.
Van Dijk said: "Obviously we all know it is a difficult place to come, we all know there was a lot of oil on the fire this week to get, especially, Newcastle fired up.
"For us, we are disappointed to concede from two set-pieces and that shouldn't happen but, overall, it's a great three points.
We move on and focus on the next one."
Virgil van Dijk was left with a visible injury to his leg following Anthony Gordon's first-half challenge. Daniel Chesterton/Offside/Offside via Getty Images
Van Dijk had little sympathy for Gordon, who was dismissed for a challenge on the Liverpool captain.
"I said to him if that's not a sending off then I don't understand football.
If he meant it or not, it happened," the Dutchman said.
Slot felt Newcastle's approach made it difficult for the visitors.
"I'm not too sure if I saw a football match today," he said.