Rio Ngumoha ready to make England splash as he spells out Ballon d’Or ambition

Fearless winger has forced his way into Thomas Tuchel’s plans and believes he can become best player in the world

Rio Ngumoha is fearless, exciting and ready to make his mark as an England player. The Liverpool winger narrowly missed the cut for the World Cup squad last summer but he impressed during the pre-tournament camp in Florida and has forced his way into Thomas Tuchel’s plans after an excellent start to the season.

There is an opportunity for the 18-year-old to advance his case with Bukayo Saka injured and more experienced players left out for the Nations League games against Croatia and Spain this week. Ngumoha, who is dangerous on both flanks, has a chance of starting when Croatia visit Wembley on Thursday and would love to test himself against Lamine Yamal when England face Spain in Madrid on Sunday.

“What he’s doing changed football for young players,” Ngumoha says of Barcelona’s 19-year-old winger. “He’s phenomenal. He’s one of the best in the world. Seeing what he can do so young inspires me and all the other young players in how we can just play freely. The way he plays, it’s like it’s his pitch. It’s a good challenge.”

Ngumoha has rarely been afraid to test himself. One of the few times he has shown trepidation was when he was a small boy, impressing at grassroots level, and was asked to play with an older age group. “I was six, maybe five, playing for a local team,” he says. “I got an assist and I could hear my mum on the side saying well done. Then they started saying that I was playing with the older players and I just panicked and started crying.

“I walked off the pitch because I’m so scared because everyone was older than me. Then I realised after I could definitely have competed with them, so I’ve toughened up a bit.”

It has been a winding journey from those games in east London. Ngumoha travelled across the capital to attend Chelsea training sessions after school. It meant getting home late but it was a necessary sacrifice for a player who could always count on the support of family and friends.

Ngumoha was pushed by his older brother, James, who now acts as his agent. He smiles as he thinks about his family. It would be easy for Ngumoha to let fame go to his head. He caused a stir when, aged 16, he marked his Premier League debut by scoring a sensational last-minute winner for Liverpool against Newcastle last season, but he did not get carried away.

He leaned on his support network, worked on blocking out the noise and paid little attention to comments on social media.

There is so much buzz around young players now. Arsenal are coping with the hype around Max Dowman and Liverpool have to be protective of Ngumoha, who caused a controversy when he joined them from Chelsea’s academy in 2024.

Chelsea fumed at the deal and a tribunal ordered Liverpool to pay a minimum of £2.8m but Ngumoha was set on the move because he saw a clearer route into the first team at Anfield. “I feel like I needed a new challenge,” he says. “Liverpool gave me a new pathway. The plan that they set for me was straightforward. It was a no brainer. They just said if I prove myself then they know that I would definitely be a star for them in the making.”

Ngumoha moved north. He lives with his brother and his mum, Liz. “The hardest thing for her has been moving up to Liverpool,” Ngumoha says. “She left her job to move up. She worked in a school. But I think she’s enjoying it as well. She goes back whenever she can. But she does everything for me and my brother. She’s just amazing. I can’t thank her enough.”

Ngumoha smiles again and says his mum will definitely be reading this interview. She will be pleased to learn her son charmed the media with his warmth and intelligence. It does not feel brash when Ngumoha, who counts Neymar, Eden Hazard and Mohamed Salah as inspirations, says he can win the Ballon d’Or one day.

“Harry Kane winning the Ballon d’Or is definitely a big thing,” he says. “It’s also helped English football now because everyone’s seen one of us win the Ballon d’Or, it is definitely encouraging many more people to want to be known as the best player in the world. For me, I would like to achieve it and I think I can do it.”

Ngumoha feels at ease. This is his third England camp. He remembers turning up for the first time and feeling too shy to speak to Kane. Yet Ngumoha starred on his debut, impressing as a substitute in a World Cup warm-up win against New Zealand in Tampa, to the extent that Tuchel wondered whether he should have picked the youngster in his tournament 26.

It has become a trend for wingers to check back and play the easy pass but Ngumoha always wants to beat his full-back. “I’m quite fearless. If there’s an opportunity to beat my man I’ll always do it. It was the way I came up, playing in cages near my house. I’ve never really been told to stop. I like getting people off their seat.”

Ngumoha will hope to provide the ammunition for Kane. He raves about England’s captain, praising Kane as a person and his dedication in training. Ngumoha has been watching closely and he soon felt the nerves disappear. “It was from the first training session. The shyness goes from the first time you touch the ball and step on the pitch. Then you realise it’s just football and you can play the way you play.”