Arne Slot and Van Dijk hail Ngumoha after dream Premier League debut

Overview

• Liverpool’s 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha hit the headlines on his Premier League debut.
• His late winner sealed a dramatic 3-2 victory over Newcastle United at St. James' Park.
• Virgil van Dijk and Arne Slot hailed the youngster.

Liverpool’s 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha hit the headlines on his English Premier League debut as his late winner sealed a dramatic 3-2 victory over Newcastle United on August 25, 2025, at St. James' Park.

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At one stage, the reigning champions were leading 2-0. Then, 10-man Newcastle put up a spirited fight as Bruno Guimarães and William Osula found the net. But just when it looked like the game would end in a draw, Ngumoha struck in stoppage time to hand Liverpool the win.

Speaking to Sky Sports about the teenager, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk said: "It is a dream debut for him. It was a perfect technique. We stayed calm towards the end as well, tried to find the right solution in order to score a goal, and we did it. I'm very pleased for Rio."

"It was a great goal for a 16-year-old" - Slot

With that strike, Ngumoha also became the fourth-youngest goalscorer in Premier League history. Liverpool head coach Arne Slot praised the youngster’s composure and finishing ability.

"It was a great goal for a 16-year-old," Slot said. "It was a big chance. He can finish really well for his age. How firm his shot was – you don’t see this often. He is so confident and for him to score is not completely a coincidence. For his age he is a really good finisher."

Reflecting on the match itself, Slot admitted Newcastle’s approach made things difficult but he was proud of his side’s response.

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"I'm not too sure if I saw a football match today. It was set-piece after set-piece, long throws. It didn't have a lot to do with tactics. But I liked a lot how we stood strong. It was a very difficult first half hour, 45 minutes. We didn't collapse at all and went 1-0 up," Slot said. "They going down to 10 men, you would expect is a big plus for us, but when a goalkeeper takes every free-kick, there is not much hope if you are one player up. That's why it was so difficult to bring the 2-0 over the line."