Van Dijk Praises Ngumoha After Dream Debut Goal at St James’ Park
Virgil van Dijk hailed 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha’s “dream debut” after the teenager struck a dramatic 100th-minute winner in Liverpool’s 3-2 victory over Newcastle United.
The Reds looked set to squander a two-goal advantage in the North East, with 10-man Newcastle appearing more likely to snatch all three points during a frantic stoppage time. But Ngumoha, introduced in the 96th minute for his first Premier League appearance, needed just four minutes to make the decisive impact—calmly slotting home to send the travelling fans into raptures.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Van Dijk was full of admiration for the youngster:
“It’s a dream debut for him. The whole attack was brilliant—Harvey started it, Szoboszlai’s dummy was perfect, and Rio finished it off. I’m really happy for him. He needs to stay humble and keep working hard, but he should enjoy this moment—it’s not something to take for granted. Tomorrow, he’ll be back in training with us for a tough session.”
The Dutch defender also reflected on one of the night’s biggest controversies, Anthony Gordon’s dismissal just before half-time. Gordon was shown a red card after a VAR review of a heavy challenge on Van Dijk.
“I told him if that’s not a sending-off, then I don’t understand football,” Van Dijk said. “Whether it was intentional or not, it happened, and that’s that—we move on.”
Despite Liverpool’s late winner, the captain admitted frustration at conceding twice from set pieces:
“We know this is a tough place to come. Newcastle have real quality and very few top sides win here. We made it harder for ourselves, but in the end, we showed composure and found the solution.”
Ngumoha’s last-gasp strike not only secured all three points but also announced his arrival on the Premier League stage. For Van Dijk, the night was another reminder of Liverpool’s ability to blend experienced leaders with fearless young talent.
