Liverpool have some exciting prospects in their academy sides this season, with Arne Slot having already featured a number in the first-team.

Although Slot has perhaps not been quite as keen to throw youngsters in as Jurgen Klopp was, the Dutch coach has still fielded quite a few.

Games against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League as well as Accrington Stanley and Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup have seen three Liverpool academy players make their senior debuts.

Possibly the most heralded of these has been Rio Ngumoha, who Slot surprisingly picked to start against Accrington in January.

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Wataru Endo hailed Ngumoha as being ‘amazing‘ during his 72-minute appearance and others in the Liverpool squad publicly praised the 16-year-old, too.

Since then, Ngumoha was on the bench for the first-team at Plymouth but has instead been largely with the Liverpool U21s.

Photo by Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

Given that he is still only 16, it is impressive in itself that Ngumoha is playing with the Liverpool U21s this season.

Clearly, due to his talent, it should be expected that he can perform above his age group.

But it’s still no mean feat to go out and do it.

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Nevertheless, it would also be fair to say that Ngumoha is still not quite adding tangible success in terms of goals and assists to his game with the U21s.

The former Chelsea wonderkid has so far played four times for the highest youth level at Liverpool, but is yet to make a goal contribution.

The latest of these performances came on Sunday, with the Young Reds falling to a 1-0 defeat against Middlesbrough.

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As per the Liverpool ECHO, it was not Ngumoha’s very best game.

With Boro said to be well aware of his capabilities, they reportedly gave Ngumoha ‘unwanted attention,’ doubling or tripling up on him when in possession.

This is claimed to have made creating chances difficult for Ngumoha, although he is said to have made a ‘strong run’ and ‘dangerous cross’ in the first-half.

Only a last-ditch block reportedly stopped the teenager from equalising in the second-half, too.

Although Ngumoha could not quite get any joy against Boro, it sounds as though he was still very much the player Liverpool were looking to to help them back into the game, That bodes well.

The ECHO also go to the trouble of providing insights into how a number of other youngsters played, with the likes of Trey Nyoni, James McConnell and Trent Kone-Doherty also analysed.

Kone-Doherty made his first-team debut against Plymouth, and while it’s claimed that he ‘might have had a hat-trick’ against Boro, he ultimately ended the match without a goal.

Elsewhere, Nyoni and McConnell are said to have ‘played well’ in midfield for Liverpool, as they continue their development.

Not the best day at the office for the Young Reds and especially for Amara Nallo who scored the game-deciding own goal.
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