Andoni Iraola says Rio Ngumoha is elite at taking on defenders one-on-one, but Liverpool are working to help the teenager improve in other areas as he adapts to the Premier League.
Iraola told the Liverpool Echo that Ngumoha’s main challenge is off-the-ball work and competing in the physical duels he faces at the top level. “If you want to put someone one versus one then Rio is one of the best players you would choose because he is difficult to contain,” Iraola said. “There are areas he has to improve, especially without the ball. He has to get used to the demands of the Premier League in terms of duels.”
The manager emphasised that Ngumoha, who turned 18 in August, is still developing physically and mentally. “You are used to being superior to the others and now you face very strong opposition and it is not easy to sustain those duels, but he is improving a lot. Body wise he is becoming stronger and I think he is in a good place.”
Iraola also noted that Ngumoha’s call-up to England at such a young age is unusual. “He has already played some minutes with the national team and that is not something normal,” Iraola said. “Normally you start playing with the national team when you are 20-something and you already have matured a little bit.”
Sources
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