Rio Ngumoha earns praise from Arne Slot after standout Wolves display

Arne Slot was full of admiration for 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha after the winger played a lively part in Liverpool’s 3-1 FA Cup win over Wolves.

Coming on in a high-intensity tie between two Premier League sides, Ngumoha caught the eye with his fearlessness on the ball and willingness to attack defenders.

“Good. I think it’s special if you’re a 17-year-old and you play in a Premier League match. I know it’s an FA Cup match, but two Premier League sides playing against each other,” Slot said, underlining just how rare such maturity is at that age.

He praised Ngumoha’s one-v-one ability, noting that “there are not many players in the modern football that can take one-v-ones on. That’s something he can,” and highlighted that the youngster kept the ball better than he had three days earlier.

Slot also pointed out that facing a five-man defence allowed Ngumoha to pour his energy into attacking, with slightly fewer defensive duties than in a back-four matchup. For the Liverpool boss, it was the ideal stage for the teenager to show he can already impact big games and continue his rapid development.
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