Liverpool starlet Rio Ngumoha has been kept away from the senior dressing room despite recently signing his first professional contract with the club.
The Premier League champions announced on Thursday that the 17-year-old attacker, who arrived from Chelsea’s academy in September 2024, has now put pen to paper on his maiden deal at Anfield.
Ngumoha has already featured five times for the first team, including in Tuesday’s 2-1 Carabao Cup victory over Southampton. He made headlines last month when he netted a last-gasp 100th-minute winner on his Premier League debut against Newcastle United.
His development has been meteoric—rising from a Chelsea academy talent to Liverpool’s youngest-ever goalscorer and European debutant. The teenager is quickly establishing himself as one of the brightest young prospects in English football.
Despite his progress, Ngumoha is not permitted to use Liverpool’s senior changing room. This is not a punishment from manager Arne Slot, but a consequence of FA regulations, which prohibit under-18 players from sharing facilities with senior professionals. As such, Ngumoha and his fellow youth players must use separate dressing rooms
