Liverpool’s Nigerian-born youngster, Rio Chima Ngumoha has declared that he is not scared of the stiff competition he is facing from the more established trio of Victor Munoz, Cody Gakpo and Bradley Barcola in the club.
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Sports247 reports that, rather than feel cowed in the midst of the highly-rated troika, the 18-year-old Ngumoha, who has a Nigerian father and mother from Guadeloupe, reckoned that competing among good players will bring out the best in him.
Ngumoha went on to declare that he is already working harder in training and off the pitch in order to meet the tough challenge facing him in the hunt for a starting shirt under The Reds’ new coach, Andoni Iraola, with limited options in the squad.
He added that, while helping him improve and step up his game, having so many attacking options to call upon also makes the squad stronger, with a verdict that any of the four forwards called upon to play would deliver when it matters most.
“I think it’s healthy competition. In the games, if they score, it gives you a drive as well to help the team. If we’re getting results, then, at the end of the day, we all play for the team, and we all want the team to do well.
“I think just having that competition is there. It keeps us on our toes as well, because you can’t get too complacent. It’s really good.” said Ngumoha, who joined Liverpool in 2024, which led to strained relations between them and Chelsea, due to the nature of his exit.
That was so because Ngumoha earlier joined the Chelsea academy aged eight and scored in The Blues’ cadet team’s 3-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers during the U17 Premier League Cup final on April 11th, 2024.
Ngumoha had his full England debut as a second-half substitute, and emerged man of the match, during a friendly against New Zealand on June 6th, thereby becoming The Lions’ fifth youngest debutant and 1,300th senior international.
