Arne Slot hails Rio Ngumoha rise as Liverpool minutes grow

Arne Slot has highlighted Rio Ngumoha’s rapid progress at Liverpool, stressing that the teenager’s growing minutes are a direct result of his development as a player.

The manager pushed back on claims that Ngumoha barely features, arguing that focusing only on Premier League minutes ignores his contributions in the FA Cup, League Cup and Champions League.

“Another great example how you can manipulate data, only talking about Premier League games and not talking about the FA Cup, League Cup and Champions League,” Slot said, noting that some outlets claim he has just 90 league minutes.

He added that “his playing time has improved massively over the last few weeks and the reason for that is because he developed, he became a better player.”

Slot believes rising external attention is actually a compliment, as it shows Ngumoha is impressing every time he comes on. He pointed to the youngster’s one‑on‑one brilliance at Nottingham Forest as a key example, while also praising less noticed aspects of his game.

Slot concluded that if Ngumoha stays fit, he would be “surprised” if the winger does not receive even more minutes in the near future.
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