Harvey Elliott is expecting big things from Rio Ngumoha this season after another impressive performance from the Liverpool teenager against AC Milan
Rio Ngumoha has been backed to make a significant breakthrough in the Liverpool first team during the forthcoming campaign after another impressive pre-season showing. Teenager winger Ngumoha was one of the Reds’ standout performers in the 4-2 defeat to AC Milan in Hong Kong on Saturday.
The 16-year-old, who scored in last week’s behind-closed-doors win over Stoke City, laid on Liverpool’s opening goal for Dominik Szoboszlai and was a constant threat down the left during his first-half performance.
With Luis Diaz omitted given speculation growing over a move to Bayern Munich, there could be more opportunities for Ngumoha in the remaining warm-up programme.
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The former Chelsea man is already the second-youngest player in history to feature for Liverpool’s senior side having started the FA Cup third win over Accrington Stanley in January.
And Harvey Elliott, who himself made his Reds debut aged 16 back in 2019, believes Ngumoha has a “big, big chance” of becoming a regular in Arne Slot’s first-team reckoning over the coming months.
“He is fearless,” said Elliott. “He showed that against AC Milan, one of Europe’s big teams. He looked like a kid in the park, and he is a kid! He just needs to carry on like this.
“We are trying as much as we can to help him out. If he keeps on performing the way he is and working as hard as he is, the kid has got an amazing future.
“I’m really excited to see where things go. Hopefully he can be very successful.
“There aren’t many 16 or 17-year-olds who get into the team, and he’s in it because he’s incredible for his age. He’s able to handle himself like he showed (against Milan).
“It’s important that the younger lads are around him and look after him, which is what we have been doing. We are not leaving him out and are bringing him into the squad and making him feel really part of it.
“He’s going to have a massive shot this season. We can all see his quality. I think he has a really, really big chance. He just needs to keep working hard and keep going, the rest I’m sure he will handle himself.
“In the upcoming years, hopefully he can show the world and especially Liverpool why he is so highly rated.”
Liverpool, operating without a striker throughout the game, were caught out by three counter-attack goals by Milan and, shortly after Cody Gakpo pulled one back during injury time, conceded with the last action following a mix-up between Kostas Tsimikas and goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili.
“It was a really good test in really tough conditions,” said Elliott. “We had different formations we haven’t really played before, players playing in different positions.
“We had some really good moments in the game but we conceded four goals and we could have avoided them. But it’s better to make the mistakes in pre-season than in the season, we have to learn from it.”
Elliott played the first half as one of two number 10s alongside £116million club record signing Florian Wirtz
And he said to LFC TV: “It was just about learning that relationship with Flo, when one dropped one stayed high to pin back the defenders. If the ball was on one side, make sure we are both coming over to support.
“We had a really good relationship for the first time playing together, it clicked really well. We had a fair few opportunities and we were able to cause problems. Maybe the final little bit didn’t go too well but that’s going to come in the season.
“Whether it’s a formation we play, I’m not sure. That’s down to the gaffer. But I think the way we played and had those connections all together, it was really enjoyable to watch and play in.”
