Can Ngumoha's Star Power Boost Liverpool's Comeback Against PSG?

Liverpool's £440m summer spending spree aimed to revitalize their squad, but it's a 17-year-old academy product who has brought newfound energy to their season. The question now is whether Ngumoha holds the key to a stunning Champions League comeback against Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield. With coach Arne Slot's future potentially hanging in the balance, Ngumoha's impressive display against Fulham has presented a selection dilemma. Having become Liverpool's youngest Premier League goalscorer at Anfield, Ngumoha was instrumental in a performance that has rekindled hope for securing a Champions League spot next season. Liverpool strengthened their grip on fifth place, which could be enough to guarantee a spot in next season's competition. However, despite his stellar showing in just his second Premier League start, Jamie Redknapp suggests that Ngumoha might be more effective coming off the bench against PSG. "If Slot did start him, I wouldn't be surprised," Redknapp stated. "I think right now, when I'm trying to pick Liverpool's best team for a huge game, I like the midfield that ended up playing against Fulham, with Mac Allister, Gravenberch, and Szoboszlai. That midfield has a bit of everything and was crucial in Liverpool's league win last year. If Ekitike starts at No 9, then you might need Wirtz on the left-hand side, and obviously Salah on the right side. That feels like it has a nice shape to it, reminiscent of last year. You've got Isak to come off the bench if needed, and then you've got Rio to come off the bench and give you a bit of X factor. If you can stay in the game, you don't have to win it in the first 20 minutes, but you can certainly lose it. It might be one where you get those two players on towards the end, and that might just be able to get you a goal and lift the crowd. I guarantee he will get some really valuable minutes in that game. But delighted for him, he couldn't have done any more to push himself for a start. So if he did, I wouldn't be surprised either." Redknapp also shared insights into Ngumoha's rise after leaving Chelsea, where he was at the same time as Redknapp's son, Beau. "The potential was so obvious. Everybody could see it. He just had a natural X factor. He was at Chelsea at the same time as my youngest son, and they used to train together in the same group. It was quite staggering to see. His brother played a big part in his career, certainly his development. He used to do a lot of one-on-one coaching with him, and he came over to my house a few times, and I just watched how he worked with Rio. I've never seen a kid with such fast feet, but it was repetition after repetition. We speak so much now about a lot of these players not getting enough training at their own clubs; they do it with one-on-one coaches, and there's probably nobody better, or nobody knows him better than his older brother. So they worked extremely well together. For anyone who doesn't know his journey, he was one of the very highly regarded players at Chelsea. They loved him, wanted to keep him. Liverpool came in, he left at 16 years of age to go up there, and it must have been really hard for him. It probably took a little while to settle. His first year in the academy didn't go perhaps as planned. This year, he sort of forced his way in with the first team squad. And now you can see it, the goal against Newcastle, the goal against Fulham, he's thriving. He's enjoying it, and it is a great environment. It's a tough environment. I did it myself as a 17-year-old when I signed for Liverpool, and I'm thankful for every day that I did it. He's doing extremely well. He's got to keep his head on his shoulders and keep working hard. He's got great experienced players like Andy Robertson around him. So I'm delighted. He's a really good young man, and it's amazing to see him. I've known him since he was seven.