Rio Ngumoha, the 18-year-old Liverpool winger, has said that Barcelona's Lamine Yamal has changed football for young players, as he prepares for England's matches against Croatia and Spain.
Ngumoha, who is a year younger than Yamal, told reporters at Hotspur Way: "What he is doing [has] changed football for young players. 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."
England call-up and Tuchel's faith
Ngumoha has earned another England call-up this month after fine form at Liverpool. With Arsenal's Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke absent, he has a good chance of significant game time on the right wing against Croatia and Yamal's Spain.
England manager Thomas Tuchel, Ngumoha said, knows he is "quite talented, which is good. Every time I come on he lets me be expressive, be free. I have the belief from him."
Ngumoha described playing under Tuchel for England and Andoni Iraola for Liverpool as "similar" but said their "language is a bit different." He explained that at England "it is a lot more structured, because you know the manager doesn't have enough time to get his ideas across — so that's why we have a lot more meetings, which is understandable."
He added: "It was definitely difficult at the start when he [Iraola] came in [at Liverpool], but we had to adapt quickly."
Dowman rivalry and Sterling advice
Ngumoha said he has played "a couple of times" against Arsenal's Max Dowman, but believes he has "played more with him than against him. Max is a top, top, top talent, a top player, and he'll definitely go on to reach many heights. We text each other if [one of us] scores."
Describing his own style as "fearless," Ngumoha said he looked up to "Neymar, Eden Hazard, Mo Salah" as a kid. He added: "Raheem Sterling pulled me to the side a couple of times and told me he could see I had talent but should never zone out in the game and should always be in the game."
Ngumoha grew up in Manor Park, a "tough area, Newham especially," and recalled playing football in "Wanstead flats, Mabley Green, Power League, Beckton, all of these places." His brother James, now his agent, pushed him to train after school, and he remembered "sometimes going from school to get the train [to Chelsea academy training] was a bit tough, especially coming back late around like 11pm for a school kid, it isn't easy, but that's a sacrifice you've got to make sometimes to reach the top."
Liverpool move and family sacrifice
A Chelsea academy product, Ngumoha was reluctant to leave, but he explained: "I needed a new challenge. I feel like if I stayed at Chelsea... not saying I wouldn't have got to the first team as quickly, because I believe in my ability, but I feel Liverpool just gave me a new pathway. The plan they set for me was straightforward. For me, it was a no-brainer going to Liverpool."
Three months after his move to Liverpool, his mother, Liz, left her job at a school in London and relocated to Liverpool, where she "does everything for me and my brother. She’s just amazing. I can’t thank her enough."
Ngumoha is looking to add to his three senior England caps during this international break, with his friendship with Fulham's Josh King, formed during the summer's pre-World Cup training camp in Florida, also continuing this month.
