‘Very refreshing’: Walcott believes Liverpool have a ‘frightening’ player who will be as good as Lamine Yamal
Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version or go back to LFC Live.net.
Liverpool have some exciting young talent and Rio Ngumoha is the pick of the bunch.
The Reds have had a hugely successful summer so far and spent close to £300m, with the quality arriving through the door, nothing short of sensational.
However, it says a lot about an existing player when they are the ones grabbing the headlines, with it being even more remarkable when it is a 16-year-old doing so.
But, that is exactly what Ngumoha has done throughout pre-season, with his winner against Newcastle only thrusting him into the spotlight further.
Being so young, Liverpool fans have to be very careful not to overhype him, but he is simply that good that they must be finding it very hard not to.
With that said, Theo Walcott, who knows better than most about how it feels to make a name for yourself so young, gave his verdict on whether he thinks he can be better than Lamine Yamal, suggesting he is not worried about bigging him up too much.
Photo by George Wood/Getty Images
If there is any player to use as an example to prove how youngsters can go right to the very top, it is Barcelona’s Yamal.
The Spaniard has only just turned 18 yet he was one of their key players en route to the La Liga title, as well as already helping his nation win the Euros.
MORE LIVERPOOL STORIES
So, it is no surprise that many young players look up to him as somewhat of an idol, especially as he is already among the contenders to win the Ballon d’Or.
Ngumoha also once said he wants to win the Ballon d’Or, and Walcott believes that if he carries on, he will be able to reach the level Yamal is currently at and, therefore, be in with a chance of winning it.
“You look at the kind of players he would have been around in the set up, Luis Diaz is very similar, just positive and plays with freedom,” Walcott said on The Overlap US.
READ MORE: Liverpool boss Arne Slot reveals true feelings on Tottenham and why he didn’t take job with Spurs in 2023
“They [the young players] do not have that expectation or pressure yet, they need to try and forget about that, that’s why I think it’s very refreshing that we are seeing these teens playing.
“It’s great for the league and great for world football as well.
I think Lamine Yamal has set the target high, but these guys can catch up, they really can.”
Wonderkids in football do not come around too often, but when they do, fans cannot help but get excited due to what they might just achieve with their club.
Ngumoha is certainly classed in this bracket and the early signs are promising, although there is still a long way to go.
As seen many times in the past, youngsters can be built up to the point where it actually comes back to bite them, something Ngumoha needs to be careful of.
Somehow, he needs to try and shut out the noise and focus on his football, with his talent more than capable of doing all the talking for him.