Sports Poets Society

Rio Ngumoha fires in Liverpool's late winner against Newcastle United at St James' Park  and (inset below) celebrates becoming the Reds' youngest ever goalscorer  DANIEL CHESTERTON/OFFSIDE TEEN STAR PROMISES TO STAY GROUNDED DESPITE STUNNING LATE WINNER By IAN DOYLE Chief LFC Writer Liverpool Echo - 27 Aug 2025 RIO NGUMOHA has revealed the advice given to him by the coaching staff at Liverpool that helped him become a Reds record-breaker. Ngumoha became the youngest goalscorer in the club's history when he stepped off the bench to net a dramatic injury-time winner and earn a 3-2 Premier League triumph at Newcastle United on Monday evening. The winger, who only turns 17 on Fri- day, had been introduced for his top- flight debut just four minutes earlier with Liverpool having thrown away a two-goal lead against their 10-man hosts.  Ngumoha's moment came when he arrived unmarked at the far post to convert a low cross from Mohamed Salah that had been dummied into his pa...

27 Aug 2025 - H Metro LONDON. − John Terry admits he was “gutted’ when Rio Ngumoha left Chelsea — and compared Liverpool’s new wonderkid to a Blues icon. Rio Ngumoha, at 16 years and 361 days old, became Liverpool’s youngest-ever goalscorer after firing home a dramatic 100th-minute winner against Newcastle on Monday night. Born and raised in Newham, Ngumoha joined Chelsea’s academy at just 8 years old, after previously visiting Arsenal and West Ham. But last summer, the starlet swapped London blue for Merseyside red Chelsea chiefs were left furious and even reportedly BANNED Liverpool scouts from attending youth matches. Stamford Bridge legend Terry was Ngumoha’s under-14s coach at Cobham and knows first-hand just how good the starlet could be. And JT revealed he is still in touch with Ngumoha, despite his move to Merseyside. In an exclusive interview with SunSport, Terry said: “He is a very ambitious boy who wanted to play first-team football and believed that was his pathway into Liv...

How 16-year-old Ngumoha became an nd instant Liverpool hero Ngumoha puts Chelsea days behind him in high style The 16-year-old winger left London believing Liverpool offered a brighter pathway – Monday proved him right Liverpool focus more on a player’s talent and less on how much could be made selling them ‘I want to prove a point that I can play  with not just people my age but many ages above’ 27 Aug 2025 - The Guardian Andy Hunter, Jacob Steinberg There was vindication as well as a place in the Liverpool history books for Rio Ngumoha with the ice-cool finish he swept past Nick Pope at St James’ Park on Monday . The 16-year-old has announced himself on the Premier League stage, as every one of his coaches predicted he would, though it is debatable his name would have registered so quickly without a bold decision taken a year ago. Ngumoha was considered one of the brightest English prospects in the Premier League academy system when he stunned Chelsea last summer by leaving fo...

George Wood/Getty Images https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6575304/2025/08/26/rio-ngumoha-liverpool-age-newcastle-goal/ By James Pearce New York Times / The Athletic Aug. 26, 2025 Hugo Ekitike wrapped his arms around Rio Ngumoha and lifted the beaming teenager off his feet. The scene was repeated many times as Liverpool’s senior players embraced the match-winner who had written his name in the record books in such dramatic fashion on a frantic night at St James’ Park . At the age of 16 years and 361 days, Ngumoha marked his Premier League debut by becoming the youngest goalscorer in the club’s history. That honour had belonged to Ben Woodburn since he struck in a League Cup tie against Leeds United aged 17 and 45 days nearly nine years ago. Ngumoha had only been on the pitch for four minutes when he ruthlessly swept a first-time shot beyond Nick Pope to trigger wild scenes of celebration deep into stoppage time. He raced away towards the corner, leaping for joy and punching the air ...

Liverpool Echo - 26 Aug 2025 By PAUL GORST at St James' Park  paul.gorst@reachplc.c @PTGorst IT'S now pretty much official: Liverpool are intent on defending their Premier League crown in the most bonkers way possible.  After kicking off their campaign with a 4-2 victory over Bournemouth at Anfield, that saw the visitors fight back from two goals down before being beaten by a couple of late goals, Arne Slot's men followed it up by contributing to an early con- tender for game of the season against the 10 men of Newcastle United. And while all the talk, on both sides of the divide, had raged about a certain Alexander Isak in the build up to this one, it was a new name that forced its way to national prominence here as Rio Ngumoha showed exactly why there is so much hype and excitement around the club for him, scoring just minutes into his Premier League debut at the tender age of 16. How coolly he took the win- ning goal - in the one hundredth and first minute, no less - dr...

GETTY IMAGES Chelsea poached Ngumoha from Arsenal but then lost him to Liverpool in 2024 https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cgjye1144l2o Nizaar Kinsella Football reporter BBC - 26 August 2025 810 Comments From the age of eight to 16, Rio Ngumoha was a Blue. A Chelsea Blue. But there is no doubting it now - the forward is a Red after scoring Liverpool's last-minute winner away at Newcastle. All the talk going into Monday's game was about whether Liverpool might sign Newcastle striker Alexander Isak, who remains in exile, after a £110m bid was rejected earlier this month .  But Ngumoha was the post-match headliner. And this follows the pattern of his fledgling career to date. In academy circles Ngumoha has been the talk of English football for the last five years or so having excelled in Chelsea's Cobham academy.  Last September he left Stamford Bridge in shock as Liverpool wrestled him away from Chelsea. On Friday he turns 17 and will sign his first professional con...

GEORGE WOOD/ GETTY IMAGES  Rio Ngumoha celebrates scoring Liverpool’s winner  in injury time of an enthralling match Ngumoha steals show to shatter 10-man hosts 26 Aug 2025 - The Guardian Louise Taylor Eddie Howe said he was investing all his energy in players “who want to play for Newcastle” after his side were sent to a stunning defeat by 16-year-old substitute Rio Ngumoha’s 100th-minute winner for Liverpool. Howe, whose 10-man team had fought back to level at 2-2 after Anthony Gordon’s first-half red card, claimed to be unaware of a last-ditch bid by the club to persuade Alexander Isak to abandon his one-man strike. The Sweden striker, currently trying to force a move to Liverpool and training separately from his teammates, was not at St James’ Park to see an extraordinary game unfold, but earlier in the day minority club owner Jamie Reuben had led an attempt to change Isak’s mind when he met with the striker in Northumberland. “I am not aware of a meeting with the owners ...

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/aug/04/rio-ngumoha-liverpool-athletic-bilbao-diogo-jota Young winger showed great promise in the 4-1 rout of Athletic Bilbao as Anfield paid its respects to Diogo Jota Andy Hunter at Anfield THE GUARDIAN - Mon 4 Aug 2025 21.30 CEST Avacancy has arisen on the left of Liverpool’s forward line and an early, eye-catching application to fill the role has arrived from a 16-year-old. Rio Ngumoha further enhanced his first‑team claims with a sparkling display against Athletic Bilbao that underlined the formidable strength, and options, available to Arne Slot. Ngumoha opened the scoring superbly and teed up a goal for Darwin Núñez inside five minutes at Anfield in the first of two pre-season friendlies against the Basque club. A packed Anfield crowd had to wait for the second fixture to catch a first glimpse of new signings Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez, Giorgi Mamardashvili, Hugo Ekitiké and Jeremie Frimpong. Ngumoha kept them entertained before then as...