Arne Slot gave Rio Ngumoha perfect advice as Andoni Iraola faces biggest challenge
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Rio Ngumoha's stock continues to rise after his England debut, but Andoni Iraola faces a big challenge with the teenager at Liverpool, with Arne Slot offering the perfect advice before his exitArne Slot gave Rio Ngumoha the perfect advice before he left Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)It’s hard not to get too excited about Rio Ngumoha, with the teenager providing yet more evidence at the weekend that he could become something very special.Everyone at Liverpool knows about the talent that he possesses, and now he’s shown that on the international stage. Having been handed his England debut against New Zealand on Saturday, not only did Ngumoha once again impress, but he even outshone his much senior teammates in a performance that earned him the player of the match award.What more proof do you need that he’s ready for the big time?
Bayern Munich clearly thinks highly of him, and you don’t get that sort of interest unless you’re a serious player.In amongst all the hype though, you do have to bear one crucial detail in mind - he’s still only 17.There’s a long, long way to go still in Ngumoha’s career still before he reaches his prime, and although all the signs are promising, both club and country need to be careful with him.Liverpool knows all too well how things can go wrong for a youngster when they’re thrown in at the deep end. There were a couple of occasions during the most recent season when he was given his chance and clearly had issues with his fitness as the game wore on - the infamous substitution against Chelsea being one of them.Rio Ngumoha impressed on his England debut against New Zealand(Image: Getty Images)And, although he’s now gone, Slot did offer up the perfect advice to Ngumoha before he left, urging him to follow Mohamed Salah’s example.Speaking after Ngumoha starred in the FA Cup win over Wolves in March, Slot said: "A player that, as we know, because we weren't seeing him for the first time, he is able to beat his man in one-v-one situations."That is something you don't see a lot in modern football, so good performance from him."That is special if you are 17 years old and you can impact a Premier League game — I know it is an FA Cup game, but two Premier League sides — in this manner, that shows that he has a lot of qualities.Get Liverpool's new 2026/27 home kitThis article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it.
Ngumoha, as talented as he is, is definitely not at that stage yet.And therein perhaps lies Andoni Iraola’s biggest challenge when he arrives at Liverpool. The Spaniard has a reputation for taking young players to new heights, as we saw with the likes of Dean Huijsen, Eli Junior Kroupi and Rayan at Bournemouth.But he didn’t have European football to contend with, which would have made balancing the minutes of those players without risking injury all the more difficult.Andoni Iraola will face his biggest challenge juggling all of Liverpool's games(Image: Getty Images)Clearly, Ngumoha will need to be given more opportunities next season, but that’s easier said than done when you’re facing one of the top sides on the continent in between two grueling Premier League games on a near-weekly basis.Guiding the teenager through that and making sure you’re not overloading him is going to be a serious test of Iraola’s capabilities.