12.4.2026
Rio Ngumoha helped Liverpool secure a confidence boosting 2-0 win over Fulham on Saturday and captain Virgil van Dijk said the 17-year-old could rise to the challenge if called upon in their Champions League second leg quarter-final tie against Paris St Germain.
Ngumoha eligible to play for Nigeria, France and England opened scoring for Liverpool at Anfield against Fulham, before Mohammed Salah added the second. According to van Dijk, Liverpool need all the players they can find to bail them out of the 2-0 deficit they suffered at Anfield when they play PSG in Paris on Tuesday
“Ngumoha would take it in his stride.
“He’s a humble kid who works hard and listens. He wants to improve constantly. He has big dreams.
“It’s down to him and the people around him to make sure that he stays like that. I’m not worried that anything will change on that front.
“It’s down to the manager to decide the team and the game plan for Tuesday. Whether you start or not, everyone has to feel part of something special. That’s the thing we need to try and beat PSG.”
Ngumoha was already Liverpool’s youngest goalscorer after netting a dramatic late winner at Newcastle in August, when he was 16.
At 17 years and 225 days, he now holds the club record as the youngest Premier League goalscorer at Anfield, eclipsing Raheem Sterling’s previous mark.
Van Dijk said: “He’s taken the record from Raheem which is very nice for him and should motivate and push him even more. You shouldn’t take things like that for granted and he won’t. He has to keep going.” With Press Association reports