The five youngest Liverpool debut goalscorers after Rio Ngumoha heroics against Newcastle
Rio Ngumoha lit up pre-season, but now he has cemented his place in Liverpool history.
Cometh the hour, cometh the boy. Or something like that after Rio Ngumoha took the gargantuan step from being an exciting prospect in pre-season fixtures to a match-winner in the Premier League.
The 16-year old winger was trusted by Arne Slot to make a difference, and that is exactly what he did has he secured all three points for Liverpool at St James’ Park and burst the balloon of a spirited Newcastle fightback. After selling Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich and the tragic loss of Diogo Jota, the depth in the forward line isn’t quite what it was yet, however, the teenage sensation has suggested that there is little to be concerned about.
Ngumoha, given a 9/10 on the player ratings vs Newcastle, isn’t the first youngster to make a big impression and these are the youngest five players to don the famous red shirt and score on their debut, although none of them can claim to have scored quite as important a goal as the former Chelsea academy star.
Five youngest Liverpool debut goalscorers after Rio Ngumoha heroics
1. Rio Ngumoha
At number one, is Ngumoha whose dramatic 100th minute winner in the 3-2 win over Newcastle made him the club’s youngest ever goalscorer. A compensation fee has yet to be agreed for the England youth cap with his price tag only heading in one direction.
2. Ben Woodburn
The player who lost his record is Ben Woodburn who was some 50 days older and 17 when he scored against Leeds United in the EFL Cup after coming off the bench, now aged 25 and at Salford City, the versatile attacker hasn’t quite hit the heights expected of him.
3. Kaide Gordon
Kaide Gordon, now 20, is still at Liverpool having opened his account at 17-years old and 96 days on his debut against Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup. At the time of his goal, Gordon held the record of being the club’s second youngest goalscorer in all competitions.
4. Michael Owen
In terms of league debuts, Michael Owen was Liverpool’s youngest on debut until Ngumoha’s exploits in the north east having scored against Wimbledon at the age of 17. Not many players peak as early as 22 and yet that is exactly what Owen did when collecting the Ballon d'Or in 2001.
5. Jordan Rossiter
Fifth on the list of debut goalscorers is Jordan Rossiter. A player who so much was expected of and yet his body simply couldn’t cope with the demands of professional football at such a young age. A league cup goal against Middlesbrough was as good as it got before a move to Rangers that gave him a second chance at a big club saw his career all but ended through a series of injuries. Now 28, Rossiter is playing for Waterford in the League of Ireland.
Rio Ngumoha has an old head on young shoulders
Despite his young age, Ngumoha clearly has a wide head on his shoulders with his post match interview with Liverpool TV showing just how mature he is: “I’m buzzing! I’m so happy to score, especially the winner. A good moment, a special feeling, I’m definitely happy. You just have to come on and make an impact and thank God that I did that. It was just a proud moment.”
Ngumoha’s cool finish belied his inexperience at senior level and he revealed his positioning for the goal was down to the coaching he has received. He added: “Normally, last season especially, the Academy coaches and even the first-team coaches are always saying, ‘Make the back post, make the back post. The fact that I made the back post is just crazy… when I saw it with Mo [Salah] and then Dom [Szoboszlai] putting it through his legs, I was like one-v-one and I just smashed it.
“The fans, I heard them screaming my name and that’s a sensational moment I would say. But you can’t get too carried away with all the noise, like I said, because at the end of the day I probably do that finish 100 times on the training ground so it’s no different with the fans [here]. But obviously the fans backing you there, it’s just crazy. I’m 16 but I don’t want my age to show that I can’t play with the older players. I want to prove a point that I can play with not just people my age but many ages above. But like I said, there are people at the club who are always helping me and I’m always learning and improving, so I can’t complain.”