- Steven Gerrard hypes Rio Ngumoha
- Reds legend praises Arne Slot for handling teenager well
- Gerrard urges managers to be patient with young star
Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard has praised youngster Rio Ngumoha for his performances this season. The Englishman believes that the teenager has been getting the minutes he deserves, adding that manager Arne Slot has been handling him well.
The former midfielder was quizzed on TNT Sports about Nghumoha and Max Dowman, saying that the two teenagers have impressed in the limited minutes they have gotten in the Premier League.
Gerrard on Liverpool starlet Ngumoha
Gerrard wants the fans to be patient with the players and let the managers decide how many minutes each of them should get. The club’s legendary former captain said:
“I think patience is the key. Very talented footballers. Got the world of the feet, both of them. I’ve been really excited to watch them in the pockets that have come on. I think it’s important that they’re not rushed. I think they’ve got two great coaches, Arne Slot and Mikel Arteta, to really look after them.”
He added:
“They all know when, when they’re ready, when they’re ready for more minutes, when they need pushing a little bit, when they need more challenge. But at the moment, they’re both doing a fantastic job, really just you know dripping them in and giving them a real good taste to Premier League level, but we’re going to be excited over these two players for many, many years because I think they’re going to do it at the top, consistently for a long time.”
Ngumoha has one goal in his 20 matches for Liverpool, scoring the winner at Newcastle United early this season. He has started to earn more game time as the season has progressed.
Gerrard called for Ngumoha to get more game time
Steven Gerrard spoke about Rio Ngumoha earlier this month, urging Arne Slot to give the youngster more minutes. He claimed that the teenager was ready to start matches ahead of Cody Gakpo after impressing in the 2-1 loss to Wolverhampton. He said:
“For 65 minutes Liverpool were desperate tonight, really poor, didn’t create enough, didn’t play at the right speed or the right tempo, didn’t have enough quality. [Slot] has to start Ngumoha now. He has to start him because he’s coming on and he’s doing more in a short cameo in a short space of time than Gakpo’s doing in 65, 70 minutes. He deserves to start now. He’s got to start the kid on Friday night [in the FA Cup].”
Ngumoha came off the bench in the 2-1 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, March 21. The teenager replaced Jeremie Frimpong in the 64th minute and was a surprise omission from the starting XI with Mohamed Salah ruled out of the match.
