What Rio Ngumoha said about new Liverpool position deployed by Andoni Iraola
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Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola gave Rio Ngumoha an opportunity to play in a new position for the team during the friendly match against Wrexham at Yankee Stadium in New YorkRio Ngumoha featured on the right flank for Liverpool against Wrexham(Image: Getty)Expectations are sky-high for Rio Ngumoha coming into the new season, following last campaign's initial breakout into the senior team, with the Liverpool youngster claiming he is happy to play in any position for the team moving forward.The 17-year-old broke into the team on the left flank, competing with Cody Gakpo for minutes as he showed plenty of quality and potential for the future.While Arne Slot largely protected the youngster to prevent him from playing too much too soon, the talent is undeniable, and it may only be a matter of time until Andoni Iraola will be relying on him consistently.That is certainly already the case in pre-season, as Liverpool remains light on numbers in the roster, with players still returning from their summer breaks after an extended season because of the World Cup.So far, there has been a mixture of first-team stars and academy prospects featuring in America, with Ngumoha being the bridge between the two groups heading into the campaign.Liverpool's preseason has started with two wins, the first over Sunderland, and the latest coming as a narrow 1-0 triumph over Championship outfit Wrexham.Ngumoha is one of Liverpool's most exciting young players(Image: Getty Images)Ngumoha got 45 minutes on the pitch, coming on in the second half and impressing as his deflected strike in the 75th minute proved to be the difference between the two teams. That all came in a slightly unfamiliar role too, as the youngster got minutes on the right wing, instead of on the left as he had done throughout the previous Premier League campaign.Despite that, the bright prospect claimed that he is open to playing whichever position the team needs, when discussing life under the new manager so far.Ngumoha told the press in the mixed zone, via ESPN: "Any position.
Right wing, left wing, I just try my best, especially on the ball, just to beat my man as much as I can. Today was a bit rusty, but the more and more I keep learning, training and games, I’ll definitely improve.
To be adaptable is a skill I need, definitely."It's a claim that could come as quite the boost to Iraola and his Liverpool staff, as the manager considers his options heading into the new season.The right wing has been a problem position this summer, with Mohamed Salah's exit and the inability to sign a replacement so far in the transfer market.Liverpool's links with Bradley Barcola have persisted, though the Paris Saint-Germain star has largely preferred to feature on the left flank instead of the right.While the Frenchman could change flanks, testing Ngumoha's ability to play on either side could prove to be important. While the youngster is right-footed, he showed he can cut in from the right on his left foot and score, something that was a trademark of Salah's time on that wing.It remains to be seen whether he is the long-term solution or not, but Iraola is considering his options ahead of an important few weeks for the team.