Ngumoha cameo at Forest reignites Liverpool selection debate | OneFootball

Rio Ngumoha’s performance in Liverpool’s 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest has intensified the discussion around his playing time, and the question now is not simply whether the 17-year-old winger is talented but whether Arne Slot can realistically keep him in a cameo role much longer.

The debate gathered pace immediately after the match via BBC Sport.

“In the moments after Liverpool’s late show at Nottingham Forest on Sunday, a specific theme quickly gained traction – why doesn’t Rio Ngumoha play more?”

That conversation is not limited to supporters either, because former Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge has already made his feelings clear: “Every time I watch Rio Ngumoha, he looks electric.

“Direct, fearless, always trying to affect the game. He deserves more minutes. Simple as that.”

Ngumoha is playing more than most 17-year-olds

(Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Slot’s explanation is rooted in development rather than selection preference: “I don’t think there is an 18-year-old or 19-year-old that has maybe played as many minutes as Rio… that tells you how much of a talent he is.”

Our Dutch head coach’s argument is actually supported by the raw appearance data.

Ngumoha has 9 Premier League appearances, more than any other under-18 player this season.

However the second layer of the numbers changes the interpretation, he has only 89 league minutes in total.

Historically that ranks just 55th for under-18 Premier League players, while players such as Wayne Rooney and Gareth Barry had already passed 2,000 minutes before turning 18.

So both sides of the argument can exist at the same time: he is playing often, but not really playing.

Ngumoha 2025-26 season (all competitions)

The Forest cameo explains why the pressure is growing

(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

The City Ground match is the perfect example of why the discussion keeps returning.

Liverpool struggled badly for control after Florian Wirtz was injured in the warm-up and Dominik Szoboszlai had to fill in at right-back, leaving us short of attacking unpredictability.

Then Ngumoha entered.

Darren Bent summed up the moment that changed the match: “Rio Ngumoha done really well… he changed the game… he just leaves the cross in a really nice area.”

The chance led to the sequence where Alexis Mac Allister thought he had scored before VAR intervened, and the momentum of the match noticeably shifted after the teenager came on.

This is becoming a pattern rather than an isolated moment.

Ngumoha has now repeatedly influenced games in short spells, which strengthens the argument that Liverpool are protecting him physically rather than doubting him technically.

The BBC analysis even raises the wider concern many clubs quietly consider: early heavy workloads have historically affected young forwards’ longevity, which is why careful management is often deliberate rather than cautious.

Slot may soon face the difficult middle ground

(Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)

Right now Slot’s approach makes sense.

A 17-year-old winger is regularly facing defenders aged 25-28, and the Liverpool head coach highlighted exactly that physical reality.

“For him to show this already at 17 years of age, it says something about his talent. But… talent is only the start of his career.”

Yet the Forest match also exposed a different risk.

We lacked game-changing options from the bench until Ngumoha appeared, and his introduction immediately gave us width, unpredictability and direct running that had been missing for over an hour.

That is why the debate is intensifying rather than fading.

Liverpool are clearly protecting Ngumoha, but performances like this increasingly suggest we are also postponing something inevitable.

DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL EMPIRE OF THE KOP APP FOR ALL THE LATEST & BREAKING UPDATES – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON APPLE & GOOGLE PLAY