Ngumoha makes an instant impact on Anfield crowd

It took Rio Ngumoha just 87 seconds to make his presence felt against Athletic Bilbao yesterday evening.

- By THEO SQUIRES

While Liverpool have spent just short of £300m so far this summer, it has been the teenager - signed from Chelsea last year - who has arguably been the star of their preseason.

He played a part in creating Conor Bradley's opener against Preston North End in the Reds’ first friendly, before scoring a deflected effort behind closed doors against Stoke City.

Such form was continued onto the preseason tour of Asia too, as the 16-year-old registered an assist against AC Milan for Dominik Szoboszlai before scoring a stunning effort against Yokohama F. Marinos.

But this was his first chance to stake his claim in front of a full home crowd during a summer to remember. And he did not hang about.

After Harvey Elliott slid in to win possession on the halfway line, Ngumo-ha raced onto the loose ball and dribbled forward to the edge of the box before bending an unstoppable strike into the bottom corner.

Prompting wild celebrations both on the pitch and in the stands, the Kop responded by chanting his name.

Even if ‘just’ a preseason friendly, only an A-list collection of teenagers will have been afforded such treatment on the hallowed Anfield turf before - but certainly not a 16-year-old.

Moments later, he added an assist, heading down Ben Doak’s cross at the far post to gift Darwin Nuneza tap-in.