Liverpool Starlet Ngumoha: “I’m Working Every Day to Gain Arne Slot’s Trust”

Nottingham, England — Rio Ngumoha’s boots hit the City Ground turf with the same urgency that has come to define Liverpool’s youngest first-team regular. Seventeen years old, 15 senior appearances, one dramatic stoppage-time winner against Newcastle, and now a candid admission: every training session, every touch in the final minutes of a tight match, is designed with one aim in mind — to earn the unequivocal trust of manager Arne Slot.

“I just think I need to carry on proving, working hard in training and showing what I can do to the manager,” Ngumoha told reporters after Liverpool’s 1-0 victory at Nottingham Forest, sealed by Alexis Mac Allister’s 95th-minute strike. The winger’s latest cameo lasted 11 minutes, but inside the dressing-room the teenager’s attitude is already measured in weeks and months of steady improvement.

Slot’s methodology is meticulous. Post-training video sessions, one-on-one tactical corrections, clips of positioning nuances — all part of a curriculum Ngumoha embraces. “The manager is very important to me and he helps me a lot,” he explained. “We might have a meeting after training and he tells me how well I am doing, to keep going, showing me clips. All of that is important and helpful.”

The forward’s statistical footprint remains modest: one goal, 20 successful dribbles, a growing number of defensive pressures. Yet within Liverpool’s framework, numbers only tell half the story. Ngumoha’s willingness to press, to sprint back, to attack defenders late in games when legs are heavy, aligns with a club tradition that rewards application as fiercely as flair.

“I know I need to at least do something to try to impact the game, whether that’s on the ball or off the ball,” he said. “That can be putting in a tackle, pressing to win the ball back, putting balls in the box, having shots on target or just beating my man.”

Arriving from the academy in September 2024, Ngumoha became Liverpool’s youngest ever scorer earlier this campaign. The goal — a composed finish in the 93rd minute against Newcastle — underlined a temperament Slot values. Since then, opportunities have arrived in bursts: substitute appearances designed to stretch weary back lines, protect leads, or chase them.

Patience remains the operative word. Liverpool supporters have watched talents blossom under measured guidance, and Ngumoha’s public mindset suggests no appetite for shortcuts. “Every single time I’m called on for the team I want to show everyone what I can do really,” he insisted. “Hopefully [more game time] soon, just keep pushing and gaining the manager’s trust.”

With the Premier League season approaching its decisive stretch, Slot’s squad depth will be tested. Injuries, suspensions, and fixture congestion traditionally open doors; Ngumoha’s response is to ensure he is ready the moment his number is raised on the fourth official’s board.

For now, the teenager continues to live the mantra imprinted across Anfield’s corridors: minutes matter, potential is nothing without production, and trust is never given — only earned, one sprint at a time.