Rio Ngumoha
Full name: Rio Bass Ray Ngumoha Adigun
Country: England/Nigeria
Date of birth: 29/08/2008 (16 years old)
Place of birth: England
Height: 170cm
Youth career: Chelsea, Liverpool (since 2024)
Current club: Liverpool
Squad number: —
Current national team: England U-17
Position: winger, second striker
Preferred foot: right
Market value (by transfermarkt.de): —
Tournaments participated in: UEFA Youth League 2024/2025 (1/0)
Contract until: 30.06.2026
Player’s agent: unknown
Transfer rumours: —
Similar type of player: Jérémy Doku/Kylian Mbappé
Strengths:
– pace 
– acceleration
– technique
– ball control
– dribbling
– bravery
– agility
– flair 
– shot power
– two-footedness
– athleticism
To improve:
– can be slightly chaotic and overambitious with his dribbling in the final third/consistency of his decision-making on the ball
– able to dispossess opponents effectively thanks to his explosiveness, but he still has a significant margin to improve his defensive contribution and overall reliability
– not strong in the air and rather avoids aerial duels
Style of play:
– explosive winger/inside forward
– player with a low centre of gravity, superb agility, body balance, changes of pace, and coordination
– electric pace and acceleration/incredibly explosive over the first meters
– extremely vertical player, who loves to take on players
– often employs body feints
– gets past players with extreme ease thanks to his quick footwork, tight control, and ability to change direction rapidly
– likes to cut inside and make dazzling runs into the penalty area
– excels at progressing the ball up the field, either through dribbles or by running into open spaces
– able to make effective off-the-ball/shoulder runs to beat the defensive line
– powerful mid and long-range shooting skills
– spectacular player who’s able to make a difference at any time thanks to his very high on-the-ball bravery
– excellent close control and footwork at top speed
– tricky, skillful, and mobile player, who possesses quick feet and high energy, often drawing fouls in dangerous areas
– counter-attacking weapon thanks to his pace and movement
– operates comfortably and he’s able to shoot, pass, and dribble with his weaker right foot
Ngumoha gets past his opponent, enters the penalty area with pace, and scores with a good weaker foot finish.
Ngumoha gets past his opponent thanks to his ‘quick feet’ and wins a penalty.
Ngumoha cuts inside, dribbles past two opponents, but his spectacular shot from distance hits the bar.
Heatmap by Wyscout:
He is best suited to playing as:
Left winger in 4-3-3.
Video:
Achievements:
—
League summary (as of 13 January 2025):
No senior team appearances yet.
Description:
Rio Ngumoha joined Liverpool’s youth academy from Chelsea in September 2024. He is regarded as one of the leaders of an exciting generation of English players born in 2008, which includes notable talents such as Stephen Mfuni, Igor Tyjon, Finlay Gorman, Kaden Braithwaite, Wesley Okoduwa, Amir Ibragimov, Malachi Hardy, Harry Howell, Alejandro Gomes Rodríguez, Junai Byfield, Harry Gray, and Freddie Simmonds. On September 17, 2024, Rio made his UEFA Youth League debut, becoming the youngest Liverpool player ever to participate in the competition, surpassing Trent Alexander-Arnold’s record by nine days. On January 11, 2025, he made his professional debut, becoming Liverpool’s second-youngest player ever at just 16 years, 4 months, and 13 days old.
Quotes:
“Rio has not been working with us an awful lot, to be fair, as he has been training with the U21s and we are still building him into the programme.
He is a great kid, his attitude has been fantastic. He is obviously a talented boy and we are really fortunate to have him in and around the group on these matchdays.“
(Marc Bridge-Wilkinson – Liverpool U18 coach)
Football Talent Scout potential rating:
Player has the potential to become a key player in a top European club.
Links: