# Rio Ngumoha
**Rio Ngumoha** (Rio Bass Ray Ngumoha Adigun, born 2008) is an English professional footballer who plays as a winger for Liverpool FC and the England national team. He is the youngest goalscorer in Liverpool FC history, having scored a stoppage-time winner at Newcastle United on his Premier League debut in August 2025 at 16 years and 361 days.[1](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/teams/mens-team/rio-ngumoha) • [2](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c1dkvy56vn3o)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 2008, London, England; grew up in Newham[3](https://www.westeurope.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/Rio-Ngumoha) |
| Position | Forward, right-footed left winger; Liverpool squad number 73[3](https://www.westeurope.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/Rio-Ngumoha) • [1](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/teams/mens-team/rio-ngumoha) |
| Clubs | Chelsea academy from about age eight; joined Liverpool's Academy in September 2024[4](https://www.vg.no/i/qP032z) • [5](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/rio-ngumoha-signs-first-professional-contract-liverpool-fc) |
| Transfer ruling | A tribunal ordered Liverpool to pay Chelsea at least £2.8m, and Chelsea secured a 20 per cent sell-on clause[2](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c1dkvy56vn3o) • [6](https://www.lfchistory.net/players/2427) |
| Record goal | 100th-minute winner in a 3-2 Premier League win at Newcastle, 25 August 2025, aged 16 years 361 days; fourth-youngest scorer in Premier League history[2](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c1dkvy56vn3o) • [7](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/el-robo-del-siglo-en-anfield-n/) |
| England | Senior debut 6 June 2026 against New Zealand in Tampa, England's 1,300th capped player; 3 caps, 0 goals[3](https://www.westeurope.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/Rio-Ngumoha) • [8](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/internationals-rio-ngumoha-and-keyrol-figueroa-make-senior-debuts?amp=1) |
| Honors | Premier League Home Grown Debutant of the Season and Scholar of the Year for 2025-26; shortlisted for the PFA Young Player of the Year award[9](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/rio-ngumoha-wins-premier-league-debutant-season-and-scholar-year-awards?amp=1) • [1](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/teams/mens-team/rio-ngumoha) |
## Early career and move to Liverpool
Ngumoha was born in east London and grew up in Newham, where he idolized [Raheem Sterling](https://www.edgepedia.org/raheem-sterling), Neymar, Lionel Messi, and [Cristiano Ronaldo](https://www.edgepedia.org/cristiano-ronaldo) before being picked up by Chelsea's academy, which he joined at about eight years old.[3](https://www.westeurope.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/Rio-Ngumoha) • [4](https://www.vg.no/i/qP032z) He was part of the Chelsea side that beat [Wolverhampton](https://www.edgepedia.org/wolverhampton) in the U17 Premier League final in April 2024, scoring in that competition's closing stages.[4](https://www.vg.no/i/qP032z)
In 2024, shortly after his 16th birthday, he left Chelsea for Liverpool. According to multiple sources, he decided to leave because he believed the pathway to first-team football was better at Liverpool, where young players such as [Jarell Quansah](https://www.edgepedia.org/jarell-quansah), Conor Bradley, and others had recently been given senior opportunities.[10](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cgjye1144l2o) The transfer was contentious: Chelsea were reported to have prohibited Liverpool's youth scouts from attending their academy games afterward, and a tribunal later ruled that Liverpool must pay at least £2.8m in compensation, with Chelsea also securing a 20 per cent sell-on clause entitling them to a fifth of any future profit on a sale.[6](https://www.lfchistory.net/players/2427) • [2](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c1dkvy56vn3o)
## Liverpool breakthrough
He signed his first professional contract with the club in 2026.[5](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/rio-ngumoha-signs-first-professional-contract-liverpool-fc)
**The Newcastle goal.** After a strong pre-season in which he made three starts and recorded two goals and two assists in four matches, Ngumoha came on as a substitute in Liverpool's second league game of the 2025-26 season at [St James' Park](https://www.edgepedia.org/st-james-park) on 25 August 2025.[7](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/el-robo-del-siglo-en-anfield-n/) With the score 2-2 against ten-man Newcastle, Mohamed Salah's ball across the box was dummied by [Dominik Szoboszlai](https://www.edgepedia.org/dominik-szoboszlai), and Ngumoha stroked the ball past Nick Pope in the 100th minute to win the match 3-2.[11](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/the-boys-a-bit-special-rio-ngumoha-eyeing-second-liverpool-scalp-after-impressing-arne-slot) At 16 years and 361 days he became the youngest goalscorer in Liverpool's history and the fourth-youngest in Premier League history, behind James Vaughan, James Milner, and [Wayne Rooney](https://www.edgepedia.org/wayne-rooney).[2](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c1dkvy56vn3o) • [7](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/el-robo-del-siglo-en-anfield-n/)
He went on to make 17 Premier League appearances and score two goals in 2025-26, the second goal coming against Fulham in April 2026, when he was named Player of the Match.[9](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/rio-ngumoha-wins-premier-league-debutant-season-and-scholar-year-awards?amp=1) • [12](https://newhamvoices.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Newham-Voices-May-2026.pdf) Across all competitions he made 29 appearances with 2 goals and 1 assist in the 2025-26 season.[13](https://tactix.football/player/rio-ngumoha/2025-26) At the Premier League Youth Development Conference he won the Home Grown Debutant of the Season and Scholar of the Year awards, and he was shortlisted for the [PFA Young Player of the Year](https://www.edgepedia.org/pfa-young-player-of-the-year) award for 2025-26.[9](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/rio-ngumoha-wins-premier-league-debutant-season-and-scholar-year-awards?amp=1) • [1](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/teams/mens-team/rio-ngumoha)
## Playing style
Ngumoha is listed as a right-footed left-winger described as a straight-line attacker, comfortable on both feet and a fearless dribbler who runs directly at defenders.[11](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/the-boys-a-bit-special-rio-ngumoha-eyeing-second-liverpool-scalp-after-impressing-arne-slot) Writers of Nigerian heritage coverage have described him as a skillful and dynamic forward, versatile as a winger and attacking midfielder.[14](https://cdn.businessday.ng/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/BD_20250927.pdf) In 2025-26 his averages of 40.9 minutes per shot and 59.5 minutes per shot in the box both ranked top among the midfielders compared in a Premier League analysis of rising stars.[15](https://www.premierleague.com/en/news/4678653/fpl-rising-stars-rio-ngumoha)
## International career
Ngumoha represented England from youth level onward, making his U15 and U16 debuts in 2023 and stepping up to the U17s in October 2024, and was a regular with the England men's under-19s.[14](https://cdn.businessday.ng/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/BD_20250927.pdf) • [3](https://www.westeurope.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/Rio-Ngumoha) In May 2026, head coach [Thomas Tuchel](https://www.edgepedia.org/thomas-tuchel) selected him among a group of young players for England's World Cup preparation camp in Florida, and on 6 June 2026 he made his senior debut, coming on for the second half of a 1-0 friendly win over New Zealand in Tampa.[16](https://www.englandfootball.com/articles/2026/Jun/07/app-rio-ngumoha-england-interview-world-cup-training-debut-20260706) • [8](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/internationals-rio-ngumoha-and-keyrol-figueroa-make-senior-debuts?amp=1) He became England's 1,300th capped player and the fifth-youngest player to represent the Three Lions.[8](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/internationals-rio-ngumoha-and-keyrol-figueroa-make-senior-debuts?amp=1) • [3](https://www.westeurope.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/Rio-Ngumoha) In September 2026 he was called up again to Tuchel's squad for four [UEFA Nations League](https://www.edgepedia.org/uefa-nations-league) fixtures against Spain, Croatia, and Czechia.[17](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/rio-ngumoha-receives-england-call)
## References
1. [Rio Ngumoha profile, Liverpool FC](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/teams/mens-team/rio-ngumoha)
2. [Liverpool told to pay Chelsea initial £2.8m for teenage winger, BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c1dkvy56vn3o)
3. [England Football player profile: Rio Ngumoha](https://www.westeurope.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/Rio-Ngumoha)
4. [Frykter berømmelse kan ødelegge Liverpools supertalent, VG](https://www.vg.no/i/qP032z)
5. [Rio Ngumoha signs first professional contract with Liverpool FC](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/rio-ngumoha-signs-first-professional-contract-liverpool-fc)
6. [Rio Ngumoha, LFChistory.net](https://www.lfchistory.net/players/2427)
7. [Ngumoha: el "robo del siglo" en Anfield, AS](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/el-robo-del-siglo-en-anfield-n/)
8. [Internationals: Rio Ngumoha and Keyrol Figueroa make senior debuts, Liverpool FC](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/internationals-rio-ngumoha-and-keyrol-figueroa-make-senior-debuts?amp=1)
9. [Rio Ngumoha wins Premier League Debutant of the Season and Scholar of the Year awards, Liverpool FC](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/rio-ngumoha-wins-premier-league-debutant-season-and-scholar-year-awards?amp=1)
10. [Rio Ngumoha: How Liverpool poached wonderkid from Chelsea, BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cgjye1144l2o)
11. ['The Boy's A Bit Special' Rio Ngumoha, FourFourTwo](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/the-boys-a-bit-special-rio-ngumoha-eyeing-second-liverpool-scalp-after-impressing-arne-slot)
12. [Newham Voices May 2026](https://newhamvoices.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Newham-Voices-May-2026.pdf)
13. [Rio Ngumoha stats 2025/26, TACTIX](https://tactix.football/player/rio-ngumoha/2025-26)
14. [Rio Ngumoha: Liverpool's rising teen star of Nigerian heritage, BusinessDay](https://cdn.businessday.ng/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/BD_20250927.pdf)
15. [FPL rising stars: Rio Ngumoha, Premier League](https://www.premierleague.com/en/news/4678653/fpl-rising-stars-rio-ngumoha)
16. [Rio Ngumoha reflects on 'crazy feeling' after England debut, England Football](https://www.englandfootball.com/articles/2026/Jun/07/app-rio-ngumoha-england-interview-world-cup-training-debut-20260706)
17. [Rio Ngumoha receives England call-up, Liverpool FC](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/rio-ngumoha-receives-england-call)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Men's footballers of the British Isles (modern era) › English footballers 2015–present › Wingers and attacking midfielders › English wingers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license