Rio Ngmoha enjoyed his time in the sun after being presented with his first England cap by Jude Bellingham after making his Three Lions debut.
Rio Ngmoha attracted attention after making his England debut (Image: @England)
Rio Ngmoha admits he was speechless after being handed his first England cap by Jude Bellingham, but Bellingham said: “There will be many more caps to come.”
The Liverpool star came off the bench at half-time to make his Three Lions debut and continued his meteoric rise. The win against New Zealand was his first goal conceded for his country, making Bellingham the man to share an iconic moment after coming on full-time.
A clip of the Real Madrid star presenting the award to Ngumoha was posted on social media, with the pair sharing a memorable moment in the dressing room.
Bellingham said: “Congratulations on a great debut. I think we all enjoyed watching this game and obviously you have a really bright future with your club and hopefully with us too. I’m glad to be able to give you (the cap) because I know there’s a lot more to come. So congratulations.”
In response, the shy Ngumoha replied, “Thank you everyone. I’m so happy. I’m speechless! I just want to say thank you. I’ll keep going!”
Ngmoha played 29 games for the Reds last season but was not, nor is he expected to be, in Thomas Tuchel’s 26-man World Cup squad. However, the winger has been called up for pre-competition friendlies to boost his numbers, as Tuchel gives a number of young stars the chance to feature in his squad.
Bournemouth’s Alex Scott, who was probably unlucky not to make the squad, Fulham midfielder Josh King and Ethan Nwaneri, who spent the second half of last season on loan from Arsenal at Marseille, are also part of this group.
Ngmoha certainly left an impression on those in the England camp. Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford told the Press Association: “He had great quality and didn’t falter. He’s had a really good season at Liverpool and the manager gave him his debut and showed how good he is.”
The winger’s breakthrough moment came in August when he scored the winning goal in stoppage time to beat Newcastle at St James’ Park. He continues to impress and with Bayern Munich naming him one of their main targets in the summer, Liverpool will have their hands full to keep him.
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