‘I didn’t love losing my Liverpool record to English-Nigerian sensation Rio Ngumoha’ – Woodburn
Salford City defender Ben Woodburn has praised Liverpool prodigy Rio Ngumoha despite losing his long-held record as the club’s youngest-ever goalscorer.
Ngumoha, who has Nigerian heritage but was born in England, became Liverpool’s youngest scorer at 16 years and 361 days after finding the net in the Reds’ 3-1 victory over Newcastle United.
His goal eclipsed Woodburn’s record, which had stood since November 2016 when he scored at 17 years and 45 days.
Woodburn, now playing for Salford City in League Two, admitted that seeing his record broken was bittersweet but expressed genuine happiness for the teenager’s rapid rise.
“I didn’t love it,” Woodburn told the Manchester Evening News. “But I was really happy for him.
“For me, I kind of felt in the moment that (the record) didn’t really matter — I probably didn’t realise how big it was at the time, so I’d imagine he’s the same.
“He’s probably just loving playing his football, and he’s been great every time he’s played for Liverpool.”
Ngumoha has already made several first-team appearances this season, impressing with his pace, flair, and maturity beyond his years.
His performances have come amid stiff competition for attacking spots following Liverpool’s high-profile signings of Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike — both arriving for over £80 million each.
Woodburn said he was surprised at how quickly Ngumoha has adapted to senior football, describing him as one of the most exciting young talents in the Premier League.
“Liverpool have just signed big players like Isak and Ekitike, so it’s so difficult for a 17-year-old lad to play,” he said.
“But I was surprised how many games he’s played already. To me, he looks like he could be one of the best wingers in the world at one point, so hopefully he can kick on and do that.”
Ngumoha’s emergence has reignited excitement at Anfield, with Liverpool fans hopeful that the gifted English-Nigerian winger could follow in the footsteps of homegrown stars such as Trent Alexander-Arnold and Curtis Jones in becoming a mainstay in the first team.
