Ngumoha, 18, on his rapid Liverpool rise: 'I manifested it'

Rio Ngumoha says he always believed he would break into Liverpool's senior squad, crediting a mindset of verbalising his ambitions as central to his rapid rise.

The 18-year-old winger joined Liverpool's Academy set-up in September 2024 and has since made 35 appearances, scoring twice. He debuted against Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup in January 2025 before becoming the club's youngest-ever Premier League scorer on his top-flight bow at Newcastle United seven months later.

Asked by the BBC whether he would have believed such progress if told about it last summer, Ngumoha said: "Yes, definitely I would have because, like I say, I am a big believer in that you have to say what you want to achieve. Manifest it, even though it might sound crazy to another person, it can happen in life. Life can just be like that – so fast. So, I did believe it would happen."

Ngumoha, who wears the No.73 shirt, said the turnaround began when he was integrated into first-team pre-season preparations ahead of the 2025-26 campaign. "I started with the first team properly in pre-season last season and I never looked back really," he said. "[I] just kept on going and going, trying to prove to myself and to everyone what I could do."

"I think I showed that so far. It's been quick but I think it's been good. I have been enjoying it," the teenager added.