Liverpool compelled to take major action after wonderkid ‘torments’ first-team players in training sessions

Liverpool have had to take significant steps in response to the impact one of their rising young talents is making during first-team training.

On Saturday, the Reds kicked off their pre-season with a 3-1 win over Preston North End, a Championship side. Conor Bradley, Darwin Núñez, and Cody Gakpo each found the net in what was an emotional match for the club.

Both teams paid tribute to Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, who tragically lost their lives in a car accident in Spain on July 3. In light of the tragedy, Liverpool delayed the return of several players from their summer break.

As a result, a few senior players were missing from the squad at Deepdale, allowing some academy players to step up. One of them was 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha, a winger who joined Liverpool from Chelsea last year.

At just 16 years and 135 days old, Ngumoha had already made history earlier in the year by becoming the youngest player to start a senior game for Liverpool during an FA Cup clash against Accrington Stanley.

Since then, he’s continued to impress. In January, Anfield Watch reported that Ngumoha had been causing problems for experienced players in training ever since manager Arne Slot brought him into first-team sessions in October 2024. The coaching staff were reportedly so impressed by his talent that the club began removing clips of his performances from their training video series to keep him under wraps.

Liverpool are said to be managing the hype around the youngster cautiously, but interest in Ngumoha is expected to grow if he remains involved in pre-season fixtures.

Journalist David Lynch has revealed that the club is preparing to offer Ngumoha his first professional contract when he turns 17 next month. He added: “It’s obvious that the club sees him as a future key player. These pre-season games give him a platform to prove he deserves more chances during the upcoming season.”

Lynch also stated that the club is likely to announce his contract soon and that Ngumoha’s focus will be on building on his early first-team experiences and earning more opportunities moving forward.