I feel a bit sorry for Rio Ngumoha tonight.
The Liverpool youngster has been left out of England’s matchday squad for the game against Spain at Wembley, which will obviously be disappointing for him.
But there really isn’t much to worry about.
England have 24 players available and UEFA only allows 23 in the matchday squad, meaning one player had to miss out.
Unfortunately for Ngumoha, it’s him this time.
I’m sure he’ll be frustrated. At 18, being at Wembley with England playing Spain is exactly the sort of occasion every young footballer wants to be involved in.
But I’d rather look at the bigger picture.
Thomas Tuchel clearly likes what he has seen from him.
When Ngumoha was included in the England squad earlier this month, Tuchel spoke about his “natural courage and adventurous style of play” and said England were excited about his potential.
That’s quite an endorsement.
And this isn’t some kid who’s just been called up to make up the numbers.
Ngumoha already has an England senior cap.
He made his debut against New Zealand in June and became the fifth-youngest player ever to represent the Three Lions.
So when you look at it like that, missing one matchday squad doesn’t really change anything.
If anything, I’d imagine Ngumoha will be desperate to get another opportunity now.
He has already made Tuchel take notice
What I like about Ngumoha is that he doesn’t look scared.
He’s still very young and there will obviously be plenty for him to learn, but when he gets the ball he wants to attack.
He’ll take a defender on.
He’ll try something.
He doesn’t seem interested in simply playing the safe pass and hiding.
That’s probably exactly what Tuchel meant when he described him as adventurous.
And Liverpool supporters have seen that side of him too.
That’s why there is so much excitement around him.
The England manager has already said Ngumoha was “very impressive” for his age and described him as explosive, adventurous and strong in one-on-one situations.
You don’t say things like that about a player you don’t think has a chance.
I actually think this could motivate him
If I were Ngumoha, I’d be disappointed tonight.
But I’d also be thinking, right, what do I need to do to make sure this doesn’t happen again?
That’s football.
Especially at international level, there are going to be times when you’re the unlucky one.
One player has to be left out.
This time it’s Rio.
Next time it might be somebody else.
And there are still three more England matches during this international window, against Czechia, Croatia and then Czechia again.
So there are more opportunities coming.
I’d be very surprised if Tuchel suddenly decided he didn’t want Ngumoha around after one omission.
He picked him in the first place because he sees something.
And I think Liverpool fans should be pretty pleased about that.
Liverpool have a very exciting player here
I’ve said this before, but Ngumoha is one of those players where you can see why people get excited.
You can’t predict exactly how a young player is going to develop.
There will be ups and downs.
There will be games where he doesn’t have much of an impact.
That’s normal.
But there is something about his willingness to take responsibility when he gets the ball that I really like.
And now he’s getting that experience at international level as well as Liverpool.
That’s only going to help him.
So yes, it’s a shame he won’t be involved against Spain tonight.
I’d have loved to see him get a few minutes at Wembley.
But I don’t think Liverpool supporters should see this as a setback.
He hasn’t been dropped.
He hasn’t been forgotten.
He hasn’t suddenly fallen out of Tuchel’s plans.
He’s simply been the unlucky player in a squad where 24 had to become 23.
At 18 years old, Rio Ngumoha is already an England international.
That’s the bit I’d concentrate on.
And knowing the way he plays, I wouldn’t be surprised if he uses tonight’s disappointment as another reason to make sure he’s very difficult to leave out next time.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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