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Young Liverpool prima Rio Ngumoha has backed himself to execute a feat which Steven Gerrard ne'er managed successful England.
After spending time successful Chelsea's academy, Ngumoha joined the Reds past summer.
The 16-year-old was called up to Liverpool's first-team squad for the archetypal clip successful December 2024, erstwhile helium was named connected the seat for an EFL Cup necktie against Southampton.
Due to his age, Ngumoha is barred from utilizing the aforesaid dressing country arsenic first-team players but, fixed the content helium has made, helium did not person to hold agelong to marque his debut, starting successful January's FA Cup 3rd circular triumph implicit Accrington Stanley.
In doing so, helium made past by becoming the youngest-ever subordinate to commencement a first-team crippled for Liverpool.
And Ngumoha is not abbreviated connected assurance erstwhile it comes to discussing what helium believes helium tin execute successful the game.
Steven Gerrard is wide regarded arsenic 1 of Liverpool's best-ever players. (Image: LFC Foundation / Contributor via Getty)
Speaking connected an occurrence of Inside The Academy precocious past year, Ngumoha said: "I genuinely judge I tin triumph the Ballon d'Or 1 day.
"I privation to beryllium regarded arsenic 1 of the champion players to ever play shot and beryllium a fable of the game.
"The emotion for shot started erstwhile I was 4 oregon five. I was watching my member and I wanted to beryllium similar him.
"I was going to academies from a young property and it was a large happening erstwhile truthful galore clubs wanted to motion me.
"I person learned you person to beryllium resilient and judge successful yourself.
"You tin person a fewer atrocious games but you person to person that content that you are the best. For me, if I americium successful atrocious signifier I conscionable enactment it down maine and enactment hard."
If Ngumoha wins the Ballon d'Or, helium would go the archetypal Liverpool subordinate to bash truthful since Michael Owen successful 2001.
Rio Ngumoha during his Liverpool first-team bow. (Image: Liverpool FC / Contributor via Getty)
How excited are Liverpool fans astir Rio Ngumoha?
Many Liverpool supporters are already excited astir Ngumoha, particularly connected Reddit.
@ThatOne_268 wrote: "Definitely 1 to ticker retired for . Absolutely astonishing successful the caller games."
@DefinitelyNotBarney added: "I garbage to get up of myself of him and fto him conscionable develop. Can’t hold for him to container 30g and 30a successful 2028/29 season."
One scholar suggested that helium should beryllium the sixth attacker arsenic portion of a rotation among Liverpool's forwards this year.
But @brianstormIRL was not convinced by that suggestion.
"Not definite he's acceptable for that physically yet," helium said.
"He's inactive lone 16 and has a batch of filling retired to bash earlier you would privation to beryllium relying connected him.
"He's a instrumentality connected the oculus but tin spot him getting thrown astir a batch currently.
"Can spot him continuing to bid with the archetypal squad this year, possibly utilized successful emergencies but a absorption connected processing his physicality to beryllium loaned retired past adjacent season."
