ReactionRio Ngumoha on the 'special feeling' of making history and being Liverpool's match-winner
Rio Ngumoha revelled in the ‘special feeling’ of earning Liverpool three points while making history in the process.
At the age of just 16 years and 361 days, Ngumoha became the youngest goalscorer in the club’s history by netting the winner in the 10th minute of stoppage time as the Reds claimed a 3-2 victory at Newcastle United on Monday night.
The forward told Liverpoolfc.com post-match: “I’m buzzing! I’m so happy to score, especially the winner. A good moment, a special feeling, I’m definitely happy.
“You just have to come on and make an impact and thank God that I did that. It was just a proud moment.”
Ngumoha’s cool finish belied his inexperience at senior level and he revealed his positioning for the goal was down to the coaching he has received.
He added: “Normally, last season especially, the Academy coaches and even the first-team coaches are always saying, ‘Make the back post, make the back post.’
“The fact that I made the back post is just crazy… when I saw it with Mo [Salah] and then Dom [Szoboszlai] putting it through his legs, I was like one-v-one and I just smashed it.
“The fans, I heard them screaming my name and that’s a sensational moment I would say.
“But you can’t get too carried away with all the noise, like I said, because at the end of the day I probably do that finish 100 times on the training ground so it’s no different with the fans [here]. But obviously the fans backing you there, it’s just crazy.
“I’m 16 but I don’t want my age to show that I can’t play with the older players. I want to prove a point that I can play with not just people my age but many ages above.
“But like I said, there are people at the club who are always helping me and I’m always learning and improving, so I can’t complain.”