Rio Ngumoha on escaping crime, leaving Chelsea and his England dream

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Rio Ngumoha learned from an early age to experience the fast-track treatment in football and at first he didn’t exactly like it.“I think I was six, maybe five,” recalls Ngumoha. I just panicked and I started crying and then I walked off the pitch because I was so scared because everyone was older than me.”It took this shock to the system to understand the precocious talent that he was.

There are darker avenues he could have ended up going down, but those around him – chiefly his mum Liz and his older brother James – ensured he stayed on the right track.“I think the people around me and all my friends and family made sure I wasn't a part of anything that was too rough, or just to keep me on my toes really. And Ngumoha has no regrets.“I feel like I needed a new challenge,” he explains.

“I feel like if I stayed at Chelsea... not saying that I wouldn't have got to the first team as quickly, because I believe in my ability, but I feel like Liverpool just gave me a new pathway. For me, it was a no-brainer going to Liverpool, and they just said if I prove myself, because they know how much ability I had, then they know that I would definitely be a first-team player and definitely a star for them in the making.” Ngumoha has no regrets about joining Liverpool (PA)After a breakout season last term, Ngumoha is now a Liverpool regular under Andoni Iraola and is treasured by the fanbase, which he describes as the best in the world.