EPL: Nigerian-born Rio Ngumoha becomes Liverpool’s youngest-ever goalscorer

.Liverpool manager Arne Slot has hailed the mental strength and fighting spirit of his team after a thrilling 3-2 comeback victory against Newcastle United at St. James’ Park on Monday night.

But the night belonged to Rio Ngumoha, a 16-year-old Nigerian-born sensation, who announced himself to the world with a historic last-gasp winner.

Ngumoha, aged 16 years and 361 days, etched his name into Liverpool’s history books by scoring the decisive goal deep into stoppage time, becoming the Reds’ youngest-ever goalscorer and the fourth-youngest scorer in Premier League history.

The London-born forward, who has Nigerian roots, was only making his Premier League debut when he stepped off the bench to deliver the unforgettable moment.

A night of high drama

Liverpool appeared to be cruising when Ryan Gravenberch opened the scoring in the 35th minute, and Newcastle were reduced to 10 men after Anthony Gordon’s sending-off on the stroke of half-time. Moments after the restart, Hugo Ekitike doubled the visitors’ lead, sparking wild celebrations among the away fans.

However, Newcastle refused to surrender. Backed by a deafening home crowd, the Magpies fought back with two quick goals from Bruno Guimarães and William Osula, leveling the score at 2-2 and setting up a tense finale.

Then came the twist in the 100th minute. Ngumoha, making his senior league debut, latched onto a loose ball inside the box and calmly slotted past Nick Pope, sealing a famous Liverpool victory and writing his name into Anfield folklore.

Slot praises resilience and Ngumoha’s brilliance

Speaking after the match, Liverpool manager Arne Slot was full of praise for his side’s character under intense pressure:

“How do you sum an evening like this up? It felt familiar to me; I think I have experienced a game like this once before since I’m here in England – that was Everton away last season. Where so many things happened, where it was complete chaos, where the fans were so loud and so there for the home team and our fans tried to help us as much as they could.

It was an unbelievable atmosphere and for us to stay strong in that atmosphere for such a long time is worth more to me than when we play every single time out from the back and we have a four or five-nil win. These wins, these mean more to me than when we play good football because tonight had, for me, nothing to do with tactics or good football. It was a great game to watch but not because of tactics or good football. But because for every single second of the game everybody was on the front of their seat.”

On Ngumoha’s late heroics, Slot added:

“We needed a goal but the best part for me of our game was after we conceded the 2-2 – it was also their best part of the game. But what I mean with that is I think they got three or four corner kicks after they scored the 2-2, 15 throw-ins, 112 free-kicks! Not as many as I’m saying but it felt as if it was so much and the two of them [Harvey Elliott and Ngumoha] were waving because I didn’t feel like I could bring them in if we had to defend so many corner kicks or set-pieces. They were so close to scoring the 3-2 but we stood strong. Virgil [van Dijk], Ali [Becker], Ibou [Konate], they helped us a lot in these moments.

And then at last, after four or five minutes, we got the ball in a neutral position – I think we got a free-kick – [and] I could bring the both of them in. It’s, of course, special for him to score a goal in a moment like this. We know how it feels [as] last season we conceded the 3-3 in the 89th minute. And now we were the lucky ones – that’s what we were, we were lucky to get a winner over the line here.”

A Nigerian-born star on the rise

Though born in London, Rio Ngumoha has Nigerian heritage, a fact that has already sparked excitement among football fans in Nigeria, who are hopeful the teenager could one day represent the Super Eagles.

Ngumoha has been part of Liverpool’s youth setup since his early teens, impressing at academy level before earning his senior debut.

With his goal against Newcastle, Ngumoha joins an elite list of teenage record-breakers in the Premier League. Only three players have scored at a younger age:

James Vaughan – 16 years, 270 days

James Milner – 16 years, 356 days

Wayne Rooney – 16 years, 360 days

Rio Ngumoha – 16 years, 361 days

Notably, Ngumoha also becomes just the second 16-year-old ever to score a match-winning goal in the Premier League after Rooney’s iconic strike for Everton against Arsenal in 2002.

“Remember the Name”

Ngumoha’s emergence has already sent waves of excitement across Liverpool’s fanbase and beyond. Social media lit up after the match, with many hailing him as the club’s “next big thing.” From the bench to the record books in a matter of minutes, the teenager has made an instant impact — and his journey is only just beginning.

Liverpool fans will remember this night for Ngumoha’s magical finish, but for Nigeria, it might also mark the rise of another future international superstar.