Rio Ngumoha, born August 29, 2008 in London to Nigerian parents, scored a 100th-minute winning goal for Liverpool against Newcastle United, becoming the club's youngest Premier League scorer. He came on as a substitute to secure a 3-2 victory at St James' Park four days short of his 17th birthday. Ngumoha joined the Chelsea academy at age eight and moved to Liverpool in the 2024 off season after scouts offered a clearer route to first-team Premier League play. Ngumoha is the fourth 16-year-old to score in the Premier League, behind James Vaughan, James Milner and Wayne Rooney. Lionel Messi and Neymar are listed as his football heroes.
Four days short of his 17th birthday, Ngumoha made his Premier League debut for Liverpool on Monday night, sensationally scoring the match-winning goal for the Reds in the 100th minute on the road against Newcastle at St James' Park. Ngumoha's stylish strike, which came in the closing moments of a high-pressure match, was made all the more special as debutant teenagers due to their inexperience rarely play at the end of important fixtures.
Ngumoha was just eight years old when he joined the Chelsea academy as a talented youngster and had been with the London-based club for nearly half his life when he moved to Liverpool in the 2024 off season. It's been widely reported that Ngumoha left Chelsea after Liverpool scouts offered a clearer route to Premier League exposure and first-team play.
Ngumoha is only the fourth 16-year-old to score a Premier League goal. Ngumoha sits behind three other players as the youngest goal scorer in Premier League history: James Vaughan, James Milner and Wayne Rooney. Vaughan, who made his debut for Everton, is the youngest goal scorer in history at 16 years, 8 months and 27 days old when he scored his maiden goal against Crystal Palace on April 10, 2005.
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