Anfield Watch
·22 septembre 2025
In partnership with
Yahoo sportsAnfield Watch
·22 septembre 2025
There's another Rio Ngumoha coming through the ranks at Liverpool.
The Reds lost Luis Diaz this summer and decided not to replace him with anyone. That's largely due to the emergence of Rio Ngumoha.
🚨2025/26 LFC x adidas range🚨
LFC x adidas
LFC x adidas
LFC x adidas
LFC x adidas Third Kit
He's been a phenomenon since pre-season, where he made five goal contributions in five games.
The England U19 international followed that up with a debut goal in his Premier League appearance, which happened to be a winner against Newcastle United.
He was barely 17-years-old at the time, and it's very clear that they sky is the limit for Ngumoha. We are guaranteed to see more of him when the Reds take on Southampton on Tuesday night, which might see a few other academy prospects also feature.
But perhaps one of the factors into Liverpool deciding not to bring in a player like Malick Fofana to replace Diaz last summer wasn't just about Ngumoha.
Their thinking might have been focused on another young left-winger who is now finally breaking through at academy level, and who could just be the next Ngumoha, if not better.
La'more Lee Forrester has long been very highly rated by the club. He was only 15-years, one month and nine days old when he made his debut for the club's U18 team.
That was back in the 2023/24 campaign against Wolverhampton when Forrester was still just an U15 player. That made him the second youngest ever player to debut for the club's U18 side.
Unfortunately, right after that Forrester suffered a serious injury which made him unable to follow up with further appearances.
But he's back.
And this season, he's off to a brilliant start with two goals and one assist in his first four U18 Premier League appearances for the Reds.
He's only played 200 minutes, which means he's averaging a goal or assist every 66.7 minutes on the pitch.
Meanwhile, last week he also netted a hat-trick and registered two assists in Liverpool's thumping 9-1 victory over Aston Villa in the U17 Premier League Cup.
Still 16-years-old, Forrester has a really bright future ahead of him. He's incredibly fast and very strong when it comes to being able to ride challenges.
So far, he's had a stronger start than Ngumoha, who managed just one assist in his first four appearances for the club's U18 side.
Does that mean he could become even better? It's possible. A lot of things can happen to players at this stage of their careers.
One thing is certain, he definitely has the potential to make his first team bow in years to come. Forrester's speed and quality on the ball make him a player tailor-made for Arne Slot's system.