Should Rio Ngumoha be in England’s World Cup squad? Vote now | Football | Sport
Rio Ngumoha was the standout performer during England’s warm-up clash against New Zealand on Saturday, with the debutant given the Man of the Match award. Ngumoha, who wasn’t selected in Thomas Tuchel’s 26-man squad for the World Cup, dazzled on the right-hand side of attack.
His fearlessness was a sight to behold as the Liverpool ace never shied away from taking his defender on. Presented with his official cap in the dressing room by Jude Bellingham, it’s likely to be the 17-year-old’s first of many involvements for the national team.
Unless there’s an injury between now and the day before the World Cup starts, Ngumoha won’t be part of the 26-man squad. After his cameo in Tampa Bay, England fans have been questioning the legitimacy of the decision – but what do you reckon?
Has Tuchel made a mistake by leaving Ngumoha out of the final 26-man squad? Should he have been taken as a wildcard option? Have your say by voting in our Express Sport poll.
And voice your opinion in the comments.
There has been plenty of clamour for Ngumoha to be involved, not least from talkSPORT host Adrian Durham who labelled him the “best right-winger England have.” In a passionate speech, Durham said: “We’ve learned here that Thomas Tuchel has had a bit of a nightmare with Rio Ngumoha. He was the best player on the pitch. He was fantastic.”
Durham added: “Ngumoha has taken his chance, but he can’t be picked for the World Cup, so Thomas Tuchel looks a little bit foolish. He played in 29 games for Liverpool this season. It’s not like Thomas Tuchel hasn’t seen him. We know what a livewire he could be.
“From Michael Owen in 1998, we know that if you’re raw and teenage, you can actually do something special on the world stage. Thomas Tuchel has missed a trick. Rio Ngumoha is the best right winger England have got and he’s not even going to be at the World Cup. That’s something we learned today.”
Ngumoha enjoyed a breakout season for Liverpool in the Premier League, with the 17-year-old having netted twice and provided an assist during his 17 appearances in the league. However, there has been talk that his time with the Merseysiders could be coming to an end, with Bayern Munich said to be interested in him.
Reports from Sky Germany last week suggested that Ngumoha had reached a “complete verbal agreement” with the record Bundesliga champions. There has been no talk of a deal being agreed between the Premier League side and Bayern, but it could worry Liverpool, given Ngumoha has just two years left on his current contract.
