Who Is Rio Ngumoha? The Youngest Player to Start For Liverpool | OneFootball

Rio Ngumoha made history on his Liverpool debut, becoming the youngest player to start a competitive match in the club's history in the team's 4-0 FA Cup win over Accrington Stanley on Saturday, aged just 16 years and 135 days.

The teenage forward, whose senior debut at Anfield lasted 71 minutes before he was taken off by head coach Arne Slot, is the second youngest player ever to play for the Reds, 130 days older than Jerome Sinclair, who made his debut in September 2012, aged 16 years and five days old.

Ngumoha was born in London on August 29, 2008, and joined Chelsea's academy at age eight. He rose through the Blues' academy age groups and scored in the final of Chelsea's victorious U17 Premier League Cup campaign last April.

In September last year, the teenager left west London in controversial circumstances to join Liverpool, entering the club's academy, and has primarily appeared for the under-18 and under-19 teams this campaign in the U18 Premier League and UEFA Youth League.

Ngumoha, who also has three international appearances for England's under-17 team predominantly plays as a left winger, but has been lauded for his versatility as an attacker. While at Chelsea, his playing style drew comparisons to Bayern Munich forward Jamal Musiala, who was also a Chelsea youth player before his family moved to Germany in 2019.

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot praised Ngumoha in his post-match interview with ITV Sport, after electing to give the 16-year-old his senior debut on Saturday. The Dutchman said: "He did well. There were a few moments where the fans could see why we think he's a talent. He is good in one-v-one situations.

"He showed a bit more in the first half than in the second half. It is nice to get your debut and get the win. It is a special day for him."