Arne Slot got sacked by Liverpool after sharing Rio Ngumoha opinion | Football | Sport

Former Liverpool boss Arne Slot tipped Rio Ngumoha to become a star of the future after integrating him into the first-team setup at Anfield. The 47-year-old was sacked by the Reds shortly after the season ended and has since been succeeded by Andoni Iraola.

Slot guided the club to the Premier League title in 2025 and was widely expected to build upon that triumph last season following a number of high-profile signings. However, Liverpool swiftly fell away from the title race, and the Dutch tactician was unable to save his position despite steering the club into the Champions League.

In an open letter to supporters, Slot said: “This club will always judge itself by the biggest honours. That is how it should be.”

It proved to be a turbulent campaign for the Reds, yet teenage sensation Ngumoha shone as a rare bright spot. The winger netted a dramatic winner against Newcastle in August, just days before his 17th birthday, and doubled his league tally with a goal against Fulham in April.

The latter strike at Anfield arrived in only his second league start, yet Slot was confident there would be no shortage of memorable moments ahead for Ngumoha. When quizzed on whether the goal offered a glimpse into Liverpool’s future, Slot responded: “Yeah, but not only the long future, also the near future.

“I think I’ve said a few weeks, maybe months ago, one or two months ago, that his playing time would increase because he got stronger and stronger, showed more and more when he came in, but also in training sessions, that it wasn’t only a nice trick, but there was more and more end product to what he did.

“There was more and more power to what he did, which is needed if you play against the best defenders in the world. And I don’t think anyone is surprised that at this moment of time he scored his first goal [at Anfield].”

The Liverpool boss went on to add: “He has such a special quality which you don’t see a lot in football anymore: dominating the one-v-one situation. And that’s exactly what he did when he scored his goal, making the ball free by twisting and turning and then hitting it in like a Mo Salah finish, I would say.”

Ngumoha made 29 appearances for the Reds across all competitions, with his breakthrough campaign extending to the international stage. Despite missing out on Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad, the winger earned his England debut in the recent 1-0 friendly victory over New Zealand.

Deployed on the right flank, he claimed the player of the match award despite predominantly featuring on the left side for Liverpool. Ngumoha received his first England cap in the dressing room from Jude Bellingham, with the Real Madrid superstar full of praise for the teenager’s impressive performance.

His displays have reportedly caught Bayern Munich’s attention. Nevertheless, Liverpool will be reluctant to part with Ngumoha, whom Slot has previously tipped for an extended career at Anfield.