Rio Ngumoha has revealed the advice Mohamed Salah gave him before the Egyptian's departure from Liverpool, as the 18-year-old winger prepares for a potential first England start. Ngumoha is in line to feature against Croatia on Saturday for his third international cap, having made a brief debut against Czechia last month.

He told reporters that Salah's mentorship was key in his development. "The player who I probably learned the most from is Mohamed Salah, when he was at Liverpool," Ngumoha said. "He taught me a lot, especially towards the back end when he knew he was leaving. He helped me a lot." The specific guidance was to prioritise end product, with Salah advising that to reach the top he must add goals and assists.

Salah's influence and development

Ngumoha, who moved from Chelsea in 2024, has taken that advice into his early career. He became Liverpool's youngest ever scorer at Anfield with a 100th-minute winner against Newcastle United aged 16 years and 361 days. So far this season, he has made six appearances for club and country, contributing to a Liverpool side that sits sixth in the Premier League with nine points from five games. The team's recent form of four wins and a draw from the last five provides a strong backdrop for his continued integration.

His two senior goals and one assist for Liverpool came after he became a regular starter towards the end of the previous campaign. Now, with England, he is looking to make a bigger impact after coming off the bench for 20 minutes in a 2-0 win over Czechia, a performance praised by Gary Lineker. He is behind only Jude Bellingham and Wayne Rooney in the list of youngest England competitive debutants.

Liverpool's season context

Ngumoha's progress coincides with a positive period for Liverpool, who are unbeaten in the league and six points behind leaders Manchester City. Top scorer Alexander Isak has four goals this season.

Ahead of the Croatia match, Ngumoha expressed confidence in his ability to wear the England shirt, citing the influence of former Chelsea teammate Raheem Sterling who advised him to always stay ready for his chance. He believes he can follow in the footsteps of young England stars. His immediate focus is on applying Salah's lessons on the international stage, with a potential first start offering the perfect platform.

First reported at Daily Mirror Football