El Liverpool parece haber encontrado en Rio Chima Ngumoha (Newham, 29-8-2008) a su particular Lamine Yamal. Ya dejó su sello en los amistosos ante Preston y Milan -asistió a Szoboszlai-, pero el golazo con el cerró la victoria sobre el Yokohama Marinos (1-3) eclipsó, incluso, el estreno anotador de Florian Wirtz con los ‘reds’.
La historia de este prometedor extremo izquierdo, aunque diestro de pie, tiene ‘miga’. El ‘Pool’ se lo ‘robó’ al Chelsea después de que se proclamara campeón de la Premier Cup sub 17 en 2023. Su ‘fuga’ -había llegado a entrenar a las órdenes de Pochettino- generó tal enfado que los ‘blues’ rompieron relaciones con los ‘reds’, vetando la entrada de sus ojeadores a Cobham.
“Este chico es y será un jugador de primer nivel”, se lamentaba el mítico John Terry, que trabaja ahora en la Academia del Chelsea. “Si Rio estuviera en Brasil y Estevao en Inglaterra, habría una oferta de 60 millones de libras pendiente por Rio”, apuntaba la cuenta ‘The Secret Scout‘, especializada en descubrir jóvenes talentos.
Este chico es y será un jugador de primer nivel
En Stamford Bridge, sin embargo, encontró un ‘padre adoptivo’ con un estilo de juego similar y pasado en Anfield: Raheem Sterling. “Se acercó a hablar conmigo y fue genial. Una vez me llevó al margen del grupo y me dijo: ‘Cuando pierdas el balón, asegúrate de seguir la jugada. Porque en el más alto nivel, todo sucede muy rápido’. Me hizo sentir que puedo lograr lo que él ha logrado. Me asesoró sobre mis virtudes y, viniendo de alguien como Raheem, me quedé impresionado”, reconocía Ngumoha, internacional sub 17 con Inglaterra, aunque con raíces nigerianas, a ‘Inside The Academy’.
Sterling se acercó a hablar conmigo y me hizo sentir que puedo lograr lo que él ha logrado
El segundo debutante más joven en la historia del ‘Pool’
Su impacto en Liverpool, a pesar de sus escasos 170 centímetros, fue inmediato. En noviembre comenzó a ejercitarse regularmente con el primer equipo y en enero, en la victoria por 4-0 sobre el Accrington Stanley, desbancó a su compañero Trey Nyoni (16 años y 243 días) -autor de otro gol contra el Yokohama- para convertirse en el debutante más joven del Liverpool (16 años y 135 días) en la historia de la FA Cup. De hecho, sólo un futbolista, Jerome Sinclair (16 años y seis días) se estrenó antes que él con los ‘reds’, en cualquier competición.
Ahora busca dar un paso más. Ngumoha confía en abrirse hueco con los ‘mayores’ gracias a su facilidad para desbordar -puede salir por ambos perfiles- y su aceleración y, por qué no, ayudar a llenar el vacío dejado por la marcha de Luis Díaz al Bayern.
“Tenemos muchos jugadores muy buenos, pero contar con algunos de la cantera es muy útil. Nos da energía. Hubo un momento en el que debería haber centrado el balón, así que aún puede aprender.Ahora bien, si tienes 16 años y marcas un gol como el que hizo, te mereces un cumplido”, reconoce Arne Slot, uno de sus grandes valedores.
Si tienes 16 años y marcas un gol como el que hizo, te mereces un cumplido
Su gol al Yokohama acabó de disparar el ‘hype’ (elevadas expectativas). Ngumoha inició un ‘eslalon’ en mediocampo, condujo hasta la frontal, se deshizo de un rival y batió al meta con un disparo al palo raso. “La paciencia es clave. No quiero apresurar nada. Soy joven y quiero seguir esforzándome para demostrarle al entrenador lo que puedo hacer para ayudar al equipo”, advierte la nueva ‘joya’ del ‘Pool’.
“El sueño de todo niño”
Ngumoha, incluso antes de marcar, vivía ‘en una nube’: “Entrenar con el mejor equipo del mundo tan joven es el sueño de todo niño. Aprendes de los mejores y te pones a prueba contra ellos. Salah, por ejemplo, ha sido uno de mis modelos a seguir desde que era niño”.
Confianza, como desborde, le sobra. “Creo firmemente que algún día puedo ganar el Balón de Oro. Quiero ser considerado uno de los mejores jugadores de fútbol de todos los tiempos y convertirme en una leyenda”, apuntaba a ‘Inside The Academy’.
This news was originally published on this post .
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