- Rio Ngumoha made his debut against Liverpool in the FA Cup on Saturday
- Arne Slot explained why he made the decision to give the 16-year-old the starting job.
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Arne Slot has revealed the reason for his surprise decision to give 16-year-old academy star Rio Ngumoha his first start for Liverpool.
The 2008-born talent was named in the first XI for the Reds' FA Cup match against Accrington Stanley on Saturday, becoming the youngest player to feature for the club in the competition.
Saturday's match not only marked the teenager's first start for the current Premier League leaders, but also his full debut.
Liverpool's rising star has made a strong impression since arriving from Chelsea last summer. Since joining the Reds in September, he has contributed four assists in the Under-18 Premier League and UEFA Youth League.
Slot explained that Ngumoha's bravery with the ball in first team training helped him make his big decision.
He said: “It's always special when a young player makes his debut, no matter what country you're in.
Rio Ngumoha became the youngest player to play in the FA Cup with Liverpool on Saturday.
Arne Slot spoke about the 16-year-old's audacity during training with the senior team
Ngumoha also made a strong impression on the Dutchman with his efforts in the academy.
'You know what it means for the player. He is a young kid who has been with us for half a season. He has trained mainly with the U21s but sometimes with us.
“But when he's been with us, he's not afraid to do what he's good at: taking on players.” I hope he has the opportunity to demonstrate his quality.”
Since arriving on Merseyside last summer, Ngumoha has played predominantly with the club's under-18 team, but has also earned minutes for the under-19s in the UEFA Youth League.
He is a regular in Slot's first team training sessions and has impressed with his performances.
The Dutchman revealed that he is impressed by the Englishman's work on the pitch and that continuing to work hard will allow him to gain more minutes.
“Rio only once (he was in the team before), I think Southampton was away, but these players are doing very well when they train with us,” he said.
'They are doing very well when they play with the under-21s.
“So, as long as they keep doing that, their chances of getting their moment in the first team will increase, of course.”