"When I was pretty young" – Rio Ngumoha recalls childhood prediction after England call

Rio Ngumoha is living the dream of so many.

Playing for Liverpool, featuring in the Premier League and Champions League, and he has now etched himself in the footballing history of the England men's team.

Coming on against Czech Republic in the Nations League at 18 years and 31 days old, he became the third-youngest player to make his competitive debut for the England men’s team, behind Wayne Rooney and Jude Bellingham.

Speaking to ITV, Ngumoha remarked:

[speaking on Wayne Rooney and Jude Bellingham England careers] Hopefully I can do the same. It's going to be a good journey, I think!

Liverpool's number 73 has erupted into the limelight, since making his senior Liverpool debut in January 2025 under Arne Slot, he has featured more prominently in the Reds' frontline in the past two seasons.

The winger became Liverpool's youngest ever player to appear in the FA Cup aged 16 years, 135 days and also the youngest to start a first-team game.

Despite his semi-sudden rise to stardom, the signs were always there for the youngster. You don't join Liverpool from Chelsea's academy with such furore from the Blues unless you have something special.

And he always felt he was special. In his interview, Ngumoha added:

I definitely had the confidence and the belief to think that I could wear an England shirt at 18. Did I think it would be the first camp? Maybe not, but I definitely knew one day I would play when I was pretty young.

This is the confidence that can carry a player to stardom. Not to put any pressure on him.

But Ngumoha has been very levelled headed ever since he has been thrust into the limelight, and the prospect of being a part of history didn't faze the young winger.

[on playing against Czech Republic] I was ready to go. Once I knew that I was coming on, I just had the hunger, the fight, the belief.

Once I was on the pitch, it was just like any game of football, really.

While his cameo for England against Czech Republic wasn't the most fruitful, there is clearly a lot of faith from both club and country that Ngumoha can be the next big star.

Having normally featured on the left-wing, Liverpool's number 73 has been deployed more on the right this season.

He has struggled at times, but this is a new position for him.

Ngumoha is still learning how to change his game attacking from the other side of the pitch, and how to influence games not just as an inside forward, but also as a 'traditional' winger now.

And being comfortable on both sides is a trait that not too many wingers have at their disposal nowadays. The PSG attacking trio comes to mind, not to sound like Slot, and the way they are all comfortable across the frontline makes them incredibly dangerous and frustrating to play against.

Ngumoha possesses all of the traits needed to develop into a player of this calibre, and learning how to play on the right is just one step he needs to take in order to become an even better player.

The future's bright for Liverpool's young winger, and it's up to him to make the most of his exceptional talent.