Slot suggests Ngumoha breakthrough is near after Forest impact

Arne Slot has addressed the growing calls for Rio Ngumoha to start Premier League matches, and his latest comments strongly suggest more minutes are coming soon for the teenager.

The 17-year-old impressed again during the late stages of the 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest, where his direct running and one-versus-one ability immediately changed the tempo of our attack and he has spoken about a want for more minutes.

With Liverpool preparing to face West Ham United at Anfield, the conversation around selection has quickly turned towards whether the academy prospect is now ready for a bigger role.

Slot explains why Ngumoha is playing more

Speaking via Liverpoolfc.com, Slot pushed back against the idea that Ngumoha has been overlooked.

“If you want to be more realistic, or you just tell the truth – that’s sometimes nice as well! – then you see his playing time has improved massively over the last few weeks and the reason for that is because he developed, he became a better player.”

The Dutchman was clear the excitement around the youngster is actually a positive indicator: “I think it’s only very positive people start to talk about him because that tells you that he does really well.”

Slot even hinted what supporters want may not be far away: “I would be surprised – if he stays fit – if more minutes will not come in the near future.”

That comment is the strongest suggestion yet that our No.73 is moving closer to genuine first-team involvement rather than occasional cameos.

Our head coach also highlighted why his performance against Forest mattered beyond the obvious dribble everyone noticed.

“The highlight was completely on his great one-v-one action… but he had a few other actions in that game as well… that’s part of the development of a player and I really like where he’s at at the moment.”

Former defender Rio Ferdinand has already called the winger a “special talent” and questioned why he is not starting more games, which shows how quickly the wider conversation has accelerated.

Liverpool balancing hype and development

Slot also addressed the psychological side of managing a highly rated teenager.

“For a 17-year-old to be hyped like he is… he’s handling the situation really well… he is down to earth, works really hard and doesn’t lose his head.”

Our manager stressed the club must protect the youngster while preserving his biggest strength.

“We have to keep his special quality – and that’s beating players in one-on-ones… there are not many players in modern football that can take on opponents on a regular basis.”

The numbers show why supporters are excited.

According to Sofascore, Ngumoha has made nine Premier League appearances, scoring once and completing 67% of his dribbles while winning over half of his duels despite averaging only 13 minutes per match.

He is also pushing for more game time himself, recently explaining he wants minutes at any level to avoid stagnating in his development.

This matters for Liverpool because our attack has occasionally looked predictable this season, with Cody Gakpo and Mo Salah often facing well-prepared full-backs, and the teenager’s unpredictability offers something different.

Slot’s comments therefore feel less like praise and more like preparation, and while a Premier League start may not be immediate, the direction of travel is clear: if the development continues, Ngumoha is not being eased in anymore, he is being readied.

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