Rio Ngumoha has revealed the advice Mohamed Salah gave him before leaving Liverpool, saying the Egyptian challenged him to add more goals and assists to his game. The Reds youngster, who is set to win his third England cap on Saturday, says Salah has had the biggest influence on his fledgling career so far.
Salah's challenge to Ngumoha
Ngumoha became the youngest scorer in Anfield history when he netted a dramatic 100th-minute winner in a 3-2 victory over Newcastle United in August 2025, aged 16 years and 361 days. He followed it up with a strike in a 2-0 win over Fulham at Anfield in April, but the talented teenager has just two goals and one assist in 35 senior appearances for the club to date.
Ngumoha explained how Salah tasked him with adding to those numbers if he is to fulfill his potential on Merseyside, with the now 18-year-old detailing the talks he had with the iconic Egyptian last season.
"The player who I probably learned the most from is Mohamed Salah, when he was at Liverpool," Ngumoha said. "He taught me a lot, especially towards the back end when he knew he was leaving. He helped me a lot."
Learning from the best
"Like he always says about looking at his numbers and he was always telling me: 'Rio, you know you're a good player but to reach the top, you have to add the goals and assists'," Ngumoha added. "And it will come naturally but he was just going through little things like that [with me].
"When he first started [talking to me], it was like: 'Wow! I've been watching you since I was young and you're telling me how to [improve]. Like, you're helping me and you're guiding me.' But then over time, I saw him as a very good team-mate and he was helping me a lot, so I can thank him much more."
England ambitions
Ngumoha, who turned 18 in late August, became the third youngest player in a competitive England international when he was brought on for Tuesday's 2-0 win over Czechia. The Liverpool youngster is now behind only Jude Bellingham and Wayne Rooney in that particular Three Lions list, and he says he feels comfortable being named alongside both at international level.
Speaking to ITV Sport ahead of England's Nations League clash with Croatia on Saturday, the Reds winger added: "I definitely had the confidence to believe I could wear the England shirt at 18. Did I think it'd be the first camp? Maybe not. But I definitely knew that I'd be playing one day when I was still pretty young.
"I was ready to go [when coming on], Once I knew I was coming on, I just had the hunger, the fight, the belief. And once I was on the pitch, it was like any game of football really.
"I think, you know, Jude is 23 and is already probably the best midfielder in the world at this point. And he definitely believed that he would play in an England shirt at 17, same as Wayne Rooney, what he did for his club, his country, hopefully I can do the same. It's going to be a good journey I think, yes."
