He was once Liverpool’s youngest Champions League player before Rio Ngumoha – now he can’t find a new club

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Rio Ngumoha made Liverpool history for the second time this season when he featured against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.

The 17-year-old became the Reds’ youngest ever goalscorer when he scored the match-winner in the 3-2 win against Newcastle United.

Furthermore, Ngumoha became the fourth youngest goalscorer in Premier League history at St James’ Park joining Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney in the record books.

He arrived at the AXA Training Centre via Chelsea in 2024 and after making his senior bow in the FA Cup win against Accrington Stanley last season he now finds himself a fully fledged member of Arne Slot’s squad.

However, as he became the youngest player to represent the Reds in European football on Wednesday evening, he moved ahead of a former Anfield star who now finds himself on the fringes of his current club.

Raheem Sterling has been cast aside at Chelsea

Before Trent Alexander-Arnold burst onto the scene at Anfield, Raheem Sterling established himself as one of England’s brightest young talents during his breakout year in the 2012/13 season.

He became the second youngest player to appear for Liverpool on the European stage behind Phil Charnock, when he emerged off the bench during a 5-3 win against Young Boys in the Europa League.

Sterling would then play a pivotal role alongside Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge the following year as the Reds fell short at the final hurdle, losing out on the Premier League title to Manchester City before moving to the Citizens in a £50 million deal in 2015.

And now Sterling is out of the first-team picture at Stamford Bridge as a member of Chelsea’s infamous ‘bomb squad’, having returned from his loan spell at Arsenal.

TBR Football reported that Sterling could have joined Crystal Palace or West Ham on deadline day, but neither of those deals materialised, nor did any of the reported clubs interested in the forward’s signature make a concrete approach.

The 30-year-old was tipped for a Liverpool return when it became apparent he would leave City in 2022, and while reports stated that Sterling was open to the idea of playing at Anfield once again, Jurgen Klopp saw no need to pursue a deal.

He will now spend the first half of the season at least, training with other exiled squad members at Cobham, while Slot has a prospect in Ngumoha who could achieve greater heights than Sterling did on Merseyside.

How good was Raheem Sterling for Liverpool?

Former Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers threw Sterling into the deep end at Anfield as he made 33 appearances in all competitions in his debut campaign with the first team.

However, his return of two goals and two assists left a lot to be desired, and the forward certainly stepped up to the plate the following year.

Sterling played 37 times in the 2013/14 season, scoring 10 goals and adding seven assists, with his most notable moments being the goals he scored against Arsenal and Man City at Anfield.

Indeed, he still is, as things stand, the most exciting forward prospect to have broken through the ranks at Liverpool during the Premier League era. While he would win everything at the Etihad, it is a shame to see a player of his quality rotting away at Chelsea.