Rising Star
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Liverpool winger Rio Ngumoha has officially signed his first senior contract with the club, as announced on Thursday. The talented player, who turned 17 on August 29, became eligible for a professional contract and has now pledged his future to the Premier League giants. While Liverpool hasn’t disclosed the exact length of Ngumoha’s contract, his age suggests it could be for a maximum of three years.
Ngumoha made an impressive debut for Liverpool in January of this year when manager Arne Slot gave him a starting role in the FA Cup third-round match against Accrington. Although he didn’t score during that game, he netted his first goal for the team as a substitute in the Premier League match against Newcastle in August, making him the youngest goalscorer in the club’s history. Just a week earlier, he also made headlines by becoming the youngest player to feature in a European competition for Liverpool during a Champions League match against Atletico Madrid.
The 17-year-old talent moved from Chelsea’s youth academy to Liverpool in mid-2004. During his time with the youth teams at Anfield, Ngumoha played 25 matches, scoring twice and providing three assists, which earned him a call-up to the first team. Upon turning 17, his market value was set at €10 million, making him the most valuable player born in 2008 worldwide and Liverpool’s 21st most valuable player. It’s evident that his position in Slot’s squad is likely to grow in the years ahead.
