News Focus
- Rio Ngumoha wins man-of-the-match on his England debut against New Zealand
- The 17-year-old Liverpool forward is not in the final 26-man World Cup squad
- Arsenal stars join camp late after Champions League final duty
- Bayern Munich show interest but Liverpool refuse to sell the teenager
- Ngumoha will join Liverpool’s US pre-season tour next month
Teenage striker Rio Ngumoha is set to depart from the England training camp this week. The 17-year-old Liverpool player has stunned manager Thomas Tuchel and senior squad members with his performances.
Ngumoha does not feature in England’s final 26-player list for the World Cup. However, he earned the man-of-the-match award after coming on as a substitute during Saturday’s 1-0 friendly victory against New Zealand.
The Three Lions face Costa Rica in their last warm-up match on Wednesday. Fans are eager to see if Tuchel will give the youngster another opportunity before he leaves.
Tuchel now has his complete squad available. Four Arsenal players – Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke – have finally joined the group after their Champions League final commitments. The team that faces Costa Rica should look similar to the one that will open the World Cup against Croatia on June 17. However, the Arsenal stars probably will not begin the match from the start.
After a private training match against Miami United, the main squad will fly to their World Cup base in Kansas City, Missouri on Saturday. The young forward will take a break before flying back to America next month for Liverpool’s pre-season preparations.
Ngumoha was one of five additional players brought to Florida for the pre-tournament camp. Originally, he was only supposed to train with the squad. Yet Tuchel was so impressed that he decided to play him in the first friendly. This proved to be an excellent choice.
His display has sparked debate. Many believe he should have been in the final 26, or at least first reserve for injuries. Sadly, he cannot replace an injured player. Rules state he must have been in the original 55-man squad to be a replacement. In March, Tuchel suggested he might pick the teenager. Therefore, leaving him out of the 55-man list seems strange.
In the end, the German coach had seen very little of the player in competitive action. The London-born attacker wrote his name in Liverpool history last year. At 16, he became their youngest-ever goalscorer with a last-minute winner against Newcastle. Yet he only started ten senior matches last season. Sources suggest Ngumoha was unhappy with his playing time under previous boss Arne Slot.
If he had played more often, could he have secured a World Cup spot? Slot and Liverpool would say they were protecting him. It was his first full season in the Premier League and Champions League. They wanted to shield him from physical and mental pressure.
Several European clubs want to sign Ngumoha this summer. Bayern Munich is among them. However, Liverpool insist he is not for sale. Bayern also have other targets. The exit of Mohamed Salah and the arrival of new manager Andoni Iraola may solve his game-time concerns. The ex-Bournemouth boss trusts young players. He gave chances to Eli Junior Kroupi, Rayan and Dean Hujisen.
Liverpool want him to impress his new club manager in July just as he has impressed Tuchel. Ngumoha is one of England’s top young talents. He hopes to work with Tuchel again in the Nations League in September.