Published: 05 August ‘2025 | The English Chronicle Desk
Anfield witnessed a captivating spectacle on Sunday evening as Liverpool hosted a unique double-header against Athletic Bilbao—splitting their first and second teams across two matches. While the spotlight was expected to fall on the club’s high-profile summer signings making their home debuts, it was 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha who delivered a headline-stealing performance, igniting fresh excitement among the Reds’ faithful.
The young England U-17 international featured in the first match of the evening, leading Liverpool’s second XI to a dominant 4-1 victory. Within just five minutes, Ngumoha had both a goal and an assist to his name—first unleashing a stunning 20-yard curler after a solo run from deep, then cleverly nodding down a cross to set up Darwin Nunez for the second.
Throughout the match, the teenager dazzled with his pace, close control, and fearlessness. He consistently unsettled Bilbao’s defence, drawing cheers and chants from the crowd. When he was eventually substituted midway through the second half, he departed to a richly deserved standing ovation. Former Reds defender Gary Gillespie, speaking on LFC TV, called him “an excellent prospect” and admitted it was “hard to put a lid” on the excitement he’s generating.
Ngumoha’s breakthrough form has been consistent throughout pre-season. His performance against Bilbao followed a well-taken goal against Yokohama F. Marinos and an assist against AC Milan during the club’s tour of Asia. While still raw and developing, he’s showing the kind of potential that could propel him into regular first-team contention.
His singular senior appearance came back in January, when he became the second-youngest player to start for Liverpool—just 16 years and 135 days old—during an FA Cup tie against Accrington. But with the recent tragic passing of Diogo Jota in a car crash, coupled with the departure of Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich and heavy interest in Nunez from Saudi clubs, the door may be opening for Ngumoha to step up more regularly.
Liverpool’s attempt to strengthen their front line has included a rejected £110 million bid for Newcastle’s Alexander Isak. If no further reinforcements arrive, the attacking options may soon consist of only Salah, Hugo Ekitike, and Cody Gakpo—leaving room for youth to flourish.
Ngumoha, a recent recruit from Chelsea’s academy, has already attracted praise from club legends. John Terry, shortly after the move last summer, wrote, “This boy is and will be a top player.” Judging by current evidence, that assessment may prove prophetic.
In the later match of the day, the first-team lineup—which included £263.5 million worth of new signings—secured a 3-2 victory, with Cody Gakpo scoring twice and accidentally heading in an own goal. Mohamed Salah opened the scoring before missing a penalty, while new signings Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, and goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili made promising debuts.
Manager Arne Slot expressed satisfaction with the overall attacking display across both matches, saying, “In both games we created a lot of chances and scored seven goals. That’s very pleasing to see.” Slot, who astonishingly won the Premier League in his debut season with barely any signings, now looks to build a squad in his image. His preferred 4-2-3-1 setup is beginning to take shape with his latest acquisitions showing early signs of cohesion and quality.
Florian Wirtz impressed with his vision and technical finesse, Frimpong offered attacking thrust despite some defensive lapses, and Ekitike showed creativity and pace on the flanks. Kerkez provided balance at left-back, while Mamardashvili, whose long-awaited move was finally completed, looked solid in goal.
However, centre-back depth remains a concern. With Virgil van Dijk ill and Joe Gomez injured, midfielder Wataro Endo was forced to fill in at the back alongside Ibrahima Konaté. Slot acknowledged the vulnerability, especially with the looming Community Shield clash against Crystal Palace—renowned for their strength at set-pieces—after conceding twice from dead-ball situations against Bilbao.
Still, the overarching sentiment around Anfield is one of optimism—driven not just by multi-million-pound investments but by the emerging brilliance of a teenage sensation. Calm, confident, and grounded beyond his years, Ngumoha appears to be Liverpool’s next big thing.
As he himself put it recently:
“I’m not trying to rush because I’m still only young. But at the same time, I just want to show the manager what I can do and not get too complacent. I just want to do bigger and better things for me and the club.”
