'The manager is very important to me' - Ngumoha

Liverpool’s 17-year-old prodigy Rio Ngumoha is being eased into senior football through a carefully managed development plan designed by manager Arne Slot, the youngster has revealed.

Ngumoha, who trains with the first-team squad, is limited to two pitch-free sessions each week as coaches prioritise his long-term physical readiness. Staff are concentrating on building core strength, sharpening off-ball movement and accelerating his grasp of top-flight defensive demands, conscious that few teenagers arrive equipped for Premier League intensity across technical, physical and psychological metrics.

Speaking about the approach, Ngumoha underlined the pivotal role Slot plays in his progression. “The manager is very important to me and he helps me a lot,” he said. “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 winger, already training alongside some of the world’s elite players, believes the structured pathway is paying dividends. “I think it has gone really well. I am learning a lot every day playing and training with some of the best players in the world. I can’t ask for much more as a young kid. So I just think I need to carry on proving, working hard in training and showing what I can do to the manager.”

Liverpool’s hierarchy remain adamant they will not fast-track Ngumoha into competitive fixtures until they are satisfied he is robust enough to handle the rigours of senior football, positioning him as a potential future cornerstone rather than an immediate solution.