Rio Ngumoha scored a 100th-minute winner at St James' Park, becoming Liverpool's youngest goalscorer at 16 years and 361 days. The teenager's decisive finish announced him on the Premier League stage after a move from Chelsea a year earlier. Ngumoha left Chelsea days after his 16th birthday, seeking a clearer route to first-team football at Liverpool. Chelsea made multiple contract offers and reacted strongly by banning Liverpool scouts from academy matches, with executive-level terse words exchanged. John Terry praised Ngumoha as a future top player. Chelsea's squad additions and fierce competition for places influenced the move.
There was vindication as well as a place in the Liverpool history books for Rio Ngumoha with the ice-cool finish he swept past Nick Pope at St James' Park on Monday. The 16-year-old has announced himself on the Premier League stage, as every one of his coaches predicted he would, though it is debatable his name would have registered so quickly without a bold decision taken 12 months ago.
Chelsea made several contract offers to Ngumoha and were so miffed when he left that they sought to guard against future poaching by banning Liverpool's scouts from attending academy matches at their training ground. It is understood that terse words were exchanged at executive level. Chelsea knew what they were losing. This boy is and will be a top player, the club's former captain John Terry said.
For Ngumoha, it came down to pathways. Chelsea have hoovered up some of the best young talent in the world. Would there be opportunities for him? Enzo Maresca gave a debut to the 16-year-old midfielder Reggie Walsh last season but competition for places is fierce. Chelsea, after all, have just added the 18-year-old Brazilian winger Estevao Willian to their squad and will bring in the Portuguese winger Geovany Quenda from Sporting Lisbon next summer, when he will be 19.
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