Liverpool are in action in successive nights this week with Trey Nyoni and Rio Ngumoha vying for minutes
In a week that sees Liverpool involved in two cup competitions, the squad selections across Tuesday and Wednesday evening will prove instructive for many within the club’s Academy ranks. The first of the double bill will see the young Reds return to Bristol Street Motors Trophy action when they travel to Harrogate’s Exercise Stadium looking to improve on a 5-1 drubbing at the hands of Crewe Alexandra in the same competition nearly a month ago.
Twenty-four hours later, Arne Slot will likely make a raft of changes to his senior side when the Reds begin their defence of the Carabao Cup at home to West Ham United and for so many of the youngsters at the club, opportunity could be about to knock.
Perhaps none more so than for Trey Nyoni, whose rapid ascent continued over the summer when he was part of the club’s pre-season tour of the United States.
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The 17-year-old only signed from Leicester City last year but looked the part on his Stateside cameos, particularly against Real Betis in Pittsburgh, where he replaced the injured Curtis Jones in the first half and had a hand in Dominik Szoboszlai‘s winning goal.
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Nyoni became the youngest player of all time at Liverpool to feature in an FA Cup tie when he was introduced off the bench for the 3-0 win against Southampton at Anfield in late February. He became the second youngest across all competitions when he came on at Anfield aged 16 years and 243 days and, having been given the captaincy for the club’s UEFA Youth League campaign this term, the classy midfielder is continuing to take steady strides forward.
Nyoni travelled with the first team for the Premier League opener at Ipswich Town last month and while he has yet to add to his senior minutes since the 12 or so he played against the Saints on February 28, the quiet plan remains firmly on track.
“It’s funny, time goes so quick, not long ago Trey was the really young one and now it’s Rio [Nugumoha],” says Under-21s boss Barry Lewtas. “He’s a real lynchpin of this group. He was so hungry to get on the ball against Milan (in the goalless Youth League draw).
“At times he dropped a bit too deep. But the way he played from a captain’s point of view out of possession was excellent. As relationships grow within this team, we’ll all see more from Trey going forward.
“Trey has been around the first-team squad and nothing fazes him. There’s also a real belief in his own ability. He’s a confident boy but he doesn’t border on anything beyond that. He backs himself and the best young players do that. I remember Curtis Jones being exactly the same.
“He’s in a very fortunate position. He’s training with some of the best players in the world which is very humbling as well. That helps him as well as every day he gets to see the level. He knows what the next level looks like.”
If Nyoni is in line for a potential call-up for Wednesday night, new signing Rio Ngumoha may be called upon for the U21s’ trip to Harrogate. A summer signing from Chelsea, Liverpool quietly feel they have one of the best teenagers in the country on their hands and the level of frustration and anger in west London at seeing the electric winger depart for Merseyside backs up that assertion.
One particular youth coach who the ECHO spoke to last week labelled Ngumoha as one of the very best in his age range in Europe, while a representative of respected academy football account @TheSecretScout_told the Daily Mail last week: “If Rio was in Brazil, he would have made his first-team debut already and funnily enough, Chelsea might have bought him for £50m.”
Lewtas, as you might expect, is slightly less bombastic about Ngumoha‘s talents, but their limited time together has already revealed a player of rare quality for his age group.
“He’s only been here a short while and first of all he’s a lovely boy, a credit to himself and his family,” Lewtas says. “It’s important that we give him time because he’s unbelievably young.
“He’s only just turned 16. Experiences like Milan away will be brilliant for him. I want him to settle, get used to his new home and be happy. From there on in, he will develop and grow. It’s pleasing to have him on board as he’s a good player.
“It’s not hard to [keep him level-headed]. He’s come from a big club. It’s not like he’s been plucked out of obscurity. He knows what elite looks like. The environment that we create will help him and on top of that we have got a lot of other good players around him. Some of the other boys are a bit older and have been around the block for longer and they will help him settle. He will be fine.”
Ngumoha’s Liverpool appearances so far have been limited to three substitute cameos against Blackburn Rovers, AC Milan and Leeds United, which was his most recent run-out at the weekend. The former Chelsea starlet played the second half of a 2-2 draw, which came in the week he was a late substitute in a doggedly defensive 0-0 in Milan, where he was unable to showcase his true ability.
The introduction at Milan’s Puma House of Football last week saw Ngumhoha become Liverpool’s youngest ever player to play in the UEFA Youth League at 16 years and 19 days, overtaking a certain Trent Alexander-Arnold in the process.
Lewtas adds: “He’s trained with us (the under-21s) quite a bit. At the moment he’s not played for a while so it’s about ensuring we give him the right exposure of games. The Under-18s game against Blackburn was a real good chance for him to get a kit on and feel like a Liverpool player and Milan was similar.
“We will just go week to week in terms of what’s best for him in terms of games. There can be a temptation to just throw people in but he hasn’t played football for a while as he was training on his own. He needs a bit of a pre-season which is what this period really is for him.
“You always know about the better players around and he was one of them. A lot of our lads go away and play for England at youth level as well so you see who else is at that level.
“He’s someone who had caught the eye previously. It’s great to have him in the building. [Having patience] is only fair. He needs to find some rhythm. There’s no rush with him. He’s only just turned 16. Let him settle and find his way, and let’s see where it goes.”
